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COPYRIGHT DEPOSITS 









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GATHERED, TESTED AND NOW 
DISCLOSED 



BY 



MICHAEL K. BOYER 

(Poultry Editor, Farm Journal) 



S^.^Wj ' 



PHILADELPHIA— 1909 

WILMER ATKINSON CO 



Price, 25 cents 



LiBHARYof CONGREoS 
Tv/o Copies Kecoived 

MAK 29 ^ttOy 

CLASS A. XXc, :^o. 



Copyright, 1908 
Copyright, 1909 

WiLMER Atkinson Co. 



Seventh Edition 
Fortieth Thousand 



c?^*'' 
^^^% 



Publishers' Foreword 



This work has been prepared by Michael K. Boyer, one 
of the foremost poultrymen of the United States. In its 
preparation he has drawn on his own great storehouse of 
experience, and on those of his many friends who are authori- 
ties on poultry. It is packed full of information not gener- 
ally known to the average poultryman. 

Permit us to say, however, that these " secrets " — like 
the majority of human secrets !^are probably not secrets to 
every person. Some people have had things whispered in 
their ear or have read occasional hints in papers, or perhaps 
they have paid five or ten dollars to some expert who fur- 
nished the information, or possibly they have bought some 
expensive book that contained one or two little-known facts. 
And so this so-called secret knowledge has spread, gradually 
and slowly, among a — so to speak — ** select inner circle " of 
poultrymen who treasure it more or less carefully. Of 
course some of the secrets, like different kinds of molasses, 
have " leaked " faster than others, and therefore have become 
better known. 

We do not believe that there is a single secret in this 
book which is not known to at least a few breeders of poultry. 
Nor do we assert that none of these secrets have ever before 
been put into print. Rut we say this: Some poultrymen 
have paid considerable money to learn only a few of these 
secrets ; many poultrymen have lost money because they did 
not learn ; and every poultryman now has the first chance ever 
offered, we think, to obtain in one book a summary of the 
most important of the secret knowledge, old or new, that 
exists to-day. This summary is as complete as money and 
experience can make it, and as fast as newer processes or 
methods are discovered we shall secure them promptly — see 
offer in the front of this book. 

To sum up, we feel that this book should put money into 
the pockets of thousands of poultry keepers — men and 
women — who have not before had access to the partially- 
concealed knowledge which a few insiders have hitherto tried 
to monopolize. 

WILMER ATKINSON CO. 



CONTENTS 



PAGE 

Secrets of Fowl Breeding 7 

Bumham's Secret of Breeding 7 

Felch's Secret of Mating 8 

Mendel's Secret of Heredity 10 

Secret of Uniform Type and Color in Breeding 12 

Boyer's Secret of Alternating Males for Fertility 13 

Secret of the Philo System 14 

Secret of the Grundy Method 16 

Secret of the Angell System 17 

Secrets of Feeding 18 

Dr. Woods' Laying-Food Secret 21 

Brackenbury's Secret of Scalded Oats 23 

Proctor's Salt Secret 23 

The Secret of Feed at 15 Cents per Bushel 24 

The Sprouted Barley Secret 25 

An Important Feeding Secret 26 

Chick Feed Secrets 27 

Gowell's Fattening Secret 28 

Greiner's Corn Feeding Secrets 28 

Secrets of Housing. Care, etc 30 

Secret of Successful Yarding 33 

Secret of Having Healthy Fowls ' 35 

Secret of Successful Molting 36 

Secret of Telling the Laying Hen 36 

Secret of 200 Eggs per Hen per Year 37 

Trap Nest Secrets 38 

Secret of Telling the Age 38 

Egg Secrets 39 

Secret of Preserving Eggs 39 

Secret of Killing the Fertility of Eggs 39 

Secret of Winter Eggs 39 

Secret of Eggs All the Year 42 

Secret of Having Perfect Eggs 42 

Kohr's Secret of Selecting Layers -43 

Professor Rice's Fat Hen Secret 43 

Market Secrets 46 

Secret of Judging the Age of Dressed Poultry 46 

Secret of Dressing Fowls 47 

Secret of Celery-Fed Broilers 47 

Secret of High-Priced Market Stock 47 

Truslow's Secret of High Prices for Ducks 48 



CONTENTS 



Miscellaneous Secrets 50 

Secret of Determining the Right Breeding Age 50 

Secret of Preparing Fowls for Exhibition 50 

Secret of Scaly-Leg Cure 52 

Secret of Carrying Chickens 52 

Secret of a Successful Start 52 

Lawny's Secret of Insect Killers 53 

Incubator Secrets 54 

Broody Hen Secrets 54 

Dr. Woods' Egg Hatching Secret 55 

A. F. Hunter's Secret of Success 56 



Secrets of Fowl Breeding 



There is no foundation for the theory or belief that certain 
varieties of fowls are more hardy than others. It is true, how- 
ever, that not all the foreign varieties take kindly to our change- 
able climate ; but if the breeding is right, we can build up a rugged 
race out of almost any known breed. Breeds are often condemned 
for lack of hardiness when the fault really lies at the door of the 
breeder who has used injudicious methods. 

Properly to select and breed the stock is an important secret, 
and in this particular the writer can present information that will 
be useful to poultrymen. 

In originally buying the stock it is important that it be ob- 
tained from a reliable party, out of a well-established " strain " of 
its class, noted for hardiness and good, strong utility qualities. 

You must satisfy yourselves that the specimens purchased are 
not related, as, for instance, brothers and sisters. There is not so 
much danger if the chicks chosen are from eggs laid by different 
hens of the same variety, though bred to the same cock, but the 
chicks must be of a thrifty nature. 

The more remote the actual relationship is, the better, as the 
offspring from birds bred too closely, in this respect, hardly ever 
prove so satisfactory as those secured from stock of both sexes 
that are not nearly allied in kin. 



Burnham's Secret of Breeding 

As a rule, a two-year-old male on twelve-month-old females, 
will give the best results. The cock bird should possess in full 
vigor such qualities as will reproduce his superior form and 
stamina. 

In selecting hens, pick out the good layers, of generous size, 
stout constitution and good form. A one-year-old cock on two- 
year-old hens is another successful mating. 

Never allow two cocks in the same pen at the same time. 
Even if they do not quarrel, they will both annoy and injure the 
hens, and prevent proper fertilization of the eggs. 

Generally, one male with eight or ten hens is the best mat- 
ing; but, in case of alternating males in the pens, as many as 
fourteen females will give equally as good results. Deformed or 



8 POULTRY SECRETS. 

over-fat females should never be used, as these deformities will 
probably be transmitted to the offspring. 

The weights as given by the American Standard of Perfec- 
tion are exhibition weights, and are about a pound heavier than 
is advisable for breeding purposes. Never use a male that equals 
or exceeds the Standard weight. 

Males that are too greedy, or those that are so gallant that 
they will not eat until the hens have helped themselves, are like- 
wise of little value in the breeding pen, as they will become over- 
fed in the former case, and underfed in the latter. 

Some poultrymen, after the breeding season, allow the dif- 
ferent varieties to run together on a common range, and then re- 
mate when the hatching season again comes around. This is a 
serious mistake and spoils the guarantee of absolute purity. 
When a fowl or animal of any fixed breed has once been preg- 
nant to another of a different variety and color, that fowl or ani- 
mal is forever afterward crossed ; and the original purity of the 
blood is lost. 

It may perhaps be appropriately stated here, that the most 
successful result in uniformity of production is realized in breed- 
ing from one strain or line of ancestry direct. A prime, vigorous 
cock being selected (one possessing all or a majority of the fine 
qualities we seek to perpetuate), and this male being bred to a 
few hens of the same type and the best of their kind, will give us 
in the first progeny uniformly good chickens. 

The pullets among this product, if bred back to the old cock, 
will also give us a majority of good chickens. The hens only, for 
a couple of years, should be bred to the original cock, or a cock 
in the third remove from him. (The cocks of the first result can- 
not be used advantageously with any of these hens or pullets.) 

Then, if more hens are wanted, fresh female blood should be 
introduced ; and one or two of the best cocks from this last union 
may be bred back with the second hens (at two years old) to ad- 
vantage. This plan avoids in-and-in breeding. Only the best 
birds should be selected and mated, avoiding as much as possible 
the breeding together of cockerels and pullets of the same age, 
or those which come from eggs laid by the same hen. 



Felch's Secret of Mating 



Isaac K. Felch originated this remarkable breeding chart, 
which he termed " Arithmetic in Poultry Culture," by which 
method he produced thousands of chickens and three strains 
of blood from a single pair, in the vigor, size and color of the 



SECRETS OF FOWL BREEDING. 




original pair. This carefully-treasured secret is very valuable: 
The illustration shows solid and dotted lines, the former repre- 
senting the male, the latter the female, (jyj 
Each circle represents the progeny. 

In explanation : Female No. i mated to 
male No. 2 will produce group No. 3, 
which is half the blood of the sire, and half 
that of the dam. Females from group No. 
3, mated back to their own sire (No. 2), 
produce No. 5, which is three-fourths of 
the blood of the sire (No. 2) and one- 
fourth the blood of the dam (No. i). 

A male from group No. 3, mated back 
to his own dam (No. i), produces group 
No. 4, which is three-fourths of the blood 
of the dam (No. i) and one-fourth the 
blood of the sire (No. 2). felch's breeding chart 

Again, select a cockerel from group No. 5, and a pullet from 
group No. 4, or vice versa, which will produce group No. 7, which 
is mathematically half the blood of each of the original pair,Nos. 
I and 2. This is a second step toward producing a new strain. 

Females from No. 8 mated back to the original male (No. 2) 
produce a group that are seven-eighths the blood of No. 2, and 
a cockerel from No. 4, mated back to the original dam (No. i) 
produces group No. 6, which is seven-eighths the blood of the 
original dam and only one-eighth the blood of the original sire. 

Again, select a male from No. 8 and females from No. 6, and 
for a third time produce chicks (in group No. 1 1 ) that are half the 
blood of the original pair. This is the third step and the ninth 
mating in securing complete breeding of the new strain. In all 
this, the line of sires has not been broken, for every one has come 
from a group in which the preponderance of blood was that of the 
original sire.' Nos. 2, 8, 13 and 18 are virtually the blood of No. 2. 

The point is now reached where can be established a male 
line whose blood is virtually that of the original dam. If now a 
male is selected from No. 6' and mated with a female from No. 4, 
group No. 9 will be produced, which is i3-i6ths the blood of the 
original dam CNo. i) and 3-i6ths the blood of the original sire 
(No. 2). 

Again select a male from No. 9, and a female of the new 
strain (No. ii) and produce group No. 14, which becomes 21- 
32ds of the blood of the original dam, thus preserving her strain 
of blood. 

A male from No. 13, which is i3-i6ths the blood of the origi- 
nal sire (No. 2), mated to females from No. 10, which are 5-i6ths 
the blood of the original sire (No. 2) gives group No. 17, which 
is 9-i6ths the blood of said sire. 



lO POULTRY SECRETS. 

Mr. Felch says : '' While in No. i6 we have the new strain^ 
and in No. i8 the strain of our original sire (No. 2), we have 
three distinct strains, and by and with this systematic use we can 
go on breeding for all time to come." Remember that each dotted 
line is a female selection, and each solid line the male selection. 



Mendel's Secret of Heredity 



Gregor Mendel, after much study and research, discovered 
that heredity was no mystery, but instead a natural phenomenon, 
subject to attack by the scientific method of observation and ex- 
periment. 

Mendel experimented first with the vegetable kingdom, and 
his hybridization trials and tests became the basis for a new and 
important hereditary idea which promises to revolutionize the 
breeding of plants, poultry and animals. While his early experi- 
ments were with plants, the same principle also holds good with 
animals. 

According to Mendel's theory we can take fowls — say the 
Wyandottes — taking two distinct colors, the white and the black. 
We cross them ; and, as a result, instead of being of an intermedi- 
ate color, we find the offspring are all black, like the black parent. 
This proves that black is dominant to white, the latter being 
recessive. 

Now, if we breed together the hybrid blacks, we shall have 
blacks and whites in the proportion of three of the former to one 
of the latter. The white so formed will breed true after that, 
and throw no blacks, notwithstanding their black ancestry. 

Mendel tells us that there are two classes of blacks. The 
one might be termed pure dominants, which throw only blacks 
when mated with a white bird, and the other is classed as impure 
dominants which give results like the original hybrids when mated 
together, giving blacks and whites in the ratio of three to one. 
Such birds, crossed with whites, produce equal numbers of black 
and white. 

The formation of a new individual, Mendel explains, is the 
result of the union of two germ-cells, of which one is provided 
by each parent, the spermatozoon or pollen given by the male, 
and the ovum or tgg cell by the female. 

Going back to the crossing of the black and white Wyan- 
dotte, we have the inheritance of two alternative characters — 
black and white. The main idea is that any given germ-cell can 
contain only one of these alternative characters. Then, in the 
present instance every germ-cell must carry either black or white, 
but not both. 



SECRETS OF FOWL BREEDING. 



If 



In other words, when a " black " germ meets another 
" black " gerni, there will be a pure dominant black chicken, which 
itself can produce only black germs ; when a " white " germ meets 
a '* white " germ, a white chicken results, which can give rise to 
** white '' germs only. Likewise, when a '' black " germ meets a 
'* white " germ, the resulting bird is in appearance a black, for the 
reason that blackness is dominant over whiteness. But when such 
a bird comes to form germ-cells, says Mendel, the black and the 
white characters separate from one another and pass singly into 
the germ-cells. 

Therefore, a bird which has been formed by the union of a 
" black "' and a '' white " germ-cell does not form " gray " germ- 
cells, but forms equal numbers of " black " and " white " germ- 
cells. The breeding together of the hybrids, therefore, means the 
coming together of two sets of germ-cells, each consisting of equal 
numbers of blacks and whites. There can be only one result 
coming from this — the creating of a number of offspring, of which 
one-quarter are formed by the union of two " black " germ-cells, 
one-quarter by union of two " white " germ-cells, and two-quar- 
ters by the union of a black and white. Like the original hybrids,, 
these last will be black to the eye, for the reason that blackness 
is dominant to whiteness where both exist in the same individual. 

Now, going to a further generation, we find that if the whites 
are bred together they will breed true, notwithstanding that both 
of their ancestors were black. There can be no blacks, as the 
black character has been split clean out of the germ-cells from 
which they arose. 

There are two classes of the blacks, of which one is twice 
as numerous as the other. There are the hybrid blacks formed by 
the union of a " white " and a " black " germ-cell, and when bred 
together they act like the original hybrids in that a quarter of their 
offspring are whites. The other 
class of blacks consists of those 
formed by the union of two black 
germ-cells. These breed as true 
to blackness as the original pure 
black grandparent. It is here that 
the great practical importance of 
Mendel's discovery lies. When a 
cross is made between two pure 
strains which differ from one an- 
other in respect of a single pair of 
characters only, the second gen- 
eration will contain a definite pro- 
portion of individuals which breed 
as true to the characters they 
exhibit as did the original parents. 



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12 POULTRY SECRETS. 

Secret of Uniform Type and Color in Breeding 

In selecting a sire, Mr. Felch has learned that he should be 
well bred, and come from a line of " good ones " — and be a coun- 
terpart of his sire. This gives a double guarantee that he will 
control the offspring. As a rule, the offspring bred back to the 
grandsire, the sire and grandsire being alike, a start is made with 
an almost certainty of success, if the mating is properly done. 
The selection having been made the rule must be enforced that no 
sires w^ill be used for breeding but this one, or males of his get, 
and none of them that do not assume the likeness of the sire, thus 
establishing a line, or " strain of blood," which, in a single word, 
means uniformity. 

In the hen, secure first, productiveness as to eggs ; second, a 
robust constitution, coming from a long-lived race ; third, color ; 
lastly, symmetry; and from this mating select the large pullets 
that most resemble the sire, and breed them back to the sire. This 
second crop of birds will be three-fourths the blood of the sire 
selected as the foundation of the strain. 

Now the more stubbornly the blood of the first dam gives up 
to the blood of the sire, the more good it will do when subjected 
properly to him. 

Many select well-bred hens of a weakly constitution to make 
the first cross, for they assert, and truthfully, that the sire being 
so robust and strong, nearly all the chicks favor the sire. This is 
all true, but it is also true that the blood used in the hen is weak, 
and will fail in lasting quality. There should be strong blood; 
that which in the first cross seems to fight for the breeding influ- 
ence, that which has got to be bred back to the strain desired, 
and the control given if only by a preponderance of blood. A 
lasting good is then secured from the cross. Constitution and 
vital force must come from the dam; form and color from the 
sire ; and in all the matings, the introduction of new blood must 
be with a thought to that end. 

The crossing of two well-bred strains oftentimes produces 
a distinct and new type which is very beautiful. To secure this 
new type (which is in itself a fact that the two elements pro- 
ducing were of equal strength, as neither controlled the breed- 
ing), and to perpetuate it, it would in that case be wise to select 
a dam of delicate though pure blood, thus giving the sire all the 
chance possible to stamp his offspring ; then by breeding his pullet 
t)ack, to concentrate his breeding in his grandchildren, they also 
being his children ; then go on by selections of coarser or stronger 
dams for new blood for the strain. 

There is but one way to reach uniformity in breeding, no 
matter whether it is horses, cattle, or fowls, and that is by '* in- 
breeding," which, like poison, may kill or cure, according to the 
good judgment displayed in its use. 



SECRETS OF FOWL BREEDING. 



13 



Whenever new dams are introduced to a strain, breed their 
progeny back to the sire of the strain, and never use sires from 
this new introduction of blood until the blood has become thor- 
oughly subjected to the strain. 

In other words, if the chicks of the mating of the pullets to 
sires of the strain are not all in type like the strain, then breed 
back again, and not use a male as a stock bird until the desired 
affinity of the blood has been accomplished. As a rule, use no 
male with less than seven-eighths of the blood of the strain, nor 
females with less than three-fourths of the blood of the strain as 
stock birds. 



Boyer's Secret of Alternating Males for Fertility 

The writer breeds White Wyandottes, Light Brahmas and 
White Leghorns— covering the American, Asiatic and Mediterra- 
nean classes. In mating, fourteen females are quartered in each 
Wyandotte pen ; ten in each Brahma pen ; and twenty- four in each 




Cages For Breeding Males 

Each cage measures 2x2 feet, 2 feet high, with door made of one-inch wire netting. 



14 POULTRY SECRETS. 

Leghorn pen. The male bird in each pen is changed each week. 
The plan adopted is as follows : Each house contains three pens, 
and four males (all brothers) are assigned to each house. The 
males go by Nos. i, 2, 3 and 4 and the pens by Nos. i, 2 and 3. 
In the start Cock No. i is placed in Pen No. i ; Cock No. 2 in 
Pen No. 2 ; Cock No. 3 in Pen No. 3 ; and Cock No. 4 in a cage in 
another building. At the end of the week, Cock No. I is taken 
to the aforesaid building and placed in a cage ; Cock No. 2 takes 
his place in Pen No i ; Cock No. 3 goes into Pen No. 2 ; and Cock 
No. 4 goes into Pen No. 3. So on each week the changes are 
made in regular order. This gives each male bird the advantage 
of three weeks with the hens and one week of rest each month. 

Where male birds are continually in the same pen, they grow 
sluggish, and besides will have their favorite hens, paying no 
attention to the others. On the other hand, hens have their likes 
and dislikes, and will fight off certain males, and welcome others. 
But where there is a weekly change of males, there is considerable 
less chance for favoritism, and the eggs not only give a higher 
percentage of fertility, but the chicks are stronger. 

Some writers advise changing males each night. Aside from 
the labor this plan necessitates, I have found that it is detrimental 
to a good hatch. In the first place this constant changing 
harasses the hens, besides in some males it means inattention, as 
they hardly have time to become acquainted with the females. 

On the farm of the writer this changing of males is begun 
January ist and kept up until June ist. During June no changes 
are made, and on July ist all the male birds are removed from the 
pens and placed in separate enclosures, where they remain until 
the following January. This gives both sexes a good chance to 
molt, and the eggs laid by the unmated hens will keep in a good 
condition twice as long as those that are fertilized. There used to 
be a belief that hens would not lay so well unmated as when 
mated, but this theory has been found to be incorrect. The pres- 
ence of the male has no influence whatever on Qgg production. 
The mission of the male is to fertilize the eggs and right there his 
usefulness ends. 



The Secret of the Philo System 

Wide-awake poultrymen may have noticed in many of the 
leading journals of the country an advertisement telling of a 
system capable of producing $200.00 in six months from twenty 
hens, and with other startling headlines. This is the advertising 
of the Philo System developed by E. W. Philo, a well-known 
poultryman of Elmira, N. Y. The book is now (March, 1909) 
in its tenth edition, seventy-five thousand copies having been 
printed. 



SECRETS OF FOWL BREEDING. 1 5 

The secret of the Philo system is to crowd much in Httle 
space and yet have the stock do well. The keynote to the Philo 
system, so far as there can be said to be a dominating note, is 
small numbers together. A few eggs together in the incubator 
(just as there are but a few under the hen), a few chicks together 
in a brooder, a few youngsters together in a colony coop, a few 
layers in a small house. The development of the system has 
brought about the adoption of this foundation principle, and upon 
this foundation the great success of the system is based. 

Mr. Philo has found that the more frequently the eggs are 
turned in the incubator, the better the hatch, other conditions 
being right. He recommends to turn the eggs three times a day, 
instead of twice as is generally recommended, and he says there 
will be no cripples in consequence. 

He broods the chicks, winter and summer alike, in the 
brooder without heat of any kind, the theory being that with the 
right device the natural heat of the chick is ample for all purposes. 

The tiny houses, or *' colony coops," in which Mr. Philo keeps 
six head of layers, are most interesting, and they fully illustrate 
the " small units " basis of the Philo system. They are but three 
feet wide each, by six feet long, and although but four feet high 
to the eaves (five feet to gable) they are two stories; the upper 
floor is the roosting-laying- feeding apartment; the ground floor 
is, literally, a " ground floor," and is the exercising room. 

Mr. Philo doesn't feed green cut bone or beef scraps, believ- 
ing he gets just as good an egg yield and more hatchable eggs 
without scraps, and says " you cannot get good, hatchable eggs 
when feeding green cut bone." 

The eminent success of the system as a whole is shown on 
the little b^ck-yard plant, where Mr. Philo now has the sixth 
generation of birds hatched, reared and kept by it, all on the 
tiniest plots of ground, and as sturdy-healthy birds as one can see 
anywhere. The summer coop covers thirty square feet of 
ground, and sixteen birds have a little less than two square feet 
of ground space each. 

The Philo system has produced such remarkable results that 
I take special pleasure in being able to indicate its methods here. 

To get eggs when prices are high, the Philo System advo- 
cates changing the season for hatching, so that the hens will molt 
in the spring as naturally as they now do in the fall. This is done 
by each year using only the early-hatched cockerels and pullets 
for the breeders. It will take several years, however, before this 
plan can meet with any degree of success. This advice calls for 
careful breeding, just as broodiness has been bred out, or rather 
more or less reduced in some breeds. 

Philo claims that by proper selection and breeding it is possi- 
ble to produce eggs that will show good fertility, and the chicks 
will be as strong if hatched in winter as in June. Now if the 



l6 POULTRY SECRETS. 

pullets are in condition to lay through the winter, they will molt 
during the spring, and will be in good condition to produce high- 
priced eggs during the fall and winter, just at a time when the 
spring-hatched pullets will be on a vacation. 

The Philo System is particularly applicable to the small 
village and city poultry plant, and of less merit to the average 
farmer whose poultry ranges over many acres. 



The Secret of the Grundy Method 

Fred Grundy, of Morrisonville, III., a well-known writer for 
the farm press, goes one better (see page 24) and advertises feed 
at 8 cents a bushel. The " Famous Grundy Method " is included 
in a little book of 79 pages, which is now, March, 1909, in its 
tenth edition, and which has been selling for $2.00. Mr. Grundy 
says that up to last November he had made 421 experiments, re- 
quiring from two months' to a year's time, and that his 
" Method " is the result of this experience. 

Among the contents of the Grundy book are : 

The bifold method, which is starting eggs under hens and 
finishing up the hatch in incubators. This is the reverse of Dr. 
Woods' egg-hatching secret described on page 55. The difficulty 
of the Grundy plan is to get a sufficient number of eggs started 
at one time to keep even a small-sized incubator running. 

Mr. Grundy's " cheap and perfect food " is not a new idea. 
I advocated and published a bill of fare, practically the same, 
about twelve years ago, using clover hay instead of alfalfa, as at 
that time alfalfa was not on the market as a poultry feed. I 
steamed the clover over night, and in the mornipg, after again 
heating it, I mixed equal parts, by weight, of bran, cornmeal, mid- 
dlings, ground oats and meat scraps with it. This was given in a 
crumbly state. vSometimes I cooked the cut clover hay instead of 
steaming it. Hay is the very best kind of bulky food to give hens. 

Mr. Grundy cuts his alfalfa hay into quarter-inch lengths, 
as that size is about right for the hens, and each evening he pours 
two gallons of boiling water over an eight-gallon tub of the hay, 
covers closely and allows to steam until morning. To this, the 
next morning, he adds a quart of wheat bran and two quarts each 
of middlings and cornmeal, mixing the whole thoroughly to- 
gether. The steaming softens the fiber of the hay, and the moist- 
ure enables the meals to stick to it. This feed, Mr. Grundy says, 
costs him " from six to fifteen cents a bushel." The author claims 
that he can increase the weight of hundreds of fowls from two 
to three pounds in ten to fifteen days on this food, at a cost of 
only six to twelve cents for each bird. Mr. Grundy claims to 
have devised and built the first scratching shed used in this coun- 



SECRETS OF FOWL BREEDING. 1/ 

try. It is a well-known fact that I. K. Felch built and advocated 
a scratching shed thirty or more years ago. 

While containing many excellent ideas, there is very little 
in the Grundy book that has not been known to the poultry world 
for years. 

Secret of the Angell System of Securing 
Fertile Eggs 

Briefly stated, this system consists of a yard divided by a 
house into two unequal parts. One yard large enough for twelve 
hens, and a smaller yard for the cock. In the house are trap 
nests with two openings. Every night the hens are put in the 
larger yard. The cock stays permanently in his own quarters. 
Every hen that lays an tgg or enters a trap nest goes out into the 
apartment with the male and is promptly served. When night 
comes, the laying hens are all with the male bird, and they then 
are returned to their own side of the house and yard, to go 
through the same process each day. In the morning the male 
bird is alone in his yard. The author says he should not be 
allowed to serve more than twelve hens in order to have every 
egg fertile. 

The hens which do not leave their yard are the non-layers, 
and may be removed. 

The trap nest is made by simply fashioning two light doors, 
using one inch mesh, wire netting. The door to the nest which 
the hen enters through to lay is hinged from the inside, and is 
pushed open by the hen, closing behind her. The door in rear 
of the nest, opening out into the cock's yard, is hinged from the 
outside. When the hen enters the cock's pen she cannot return, 
as will readily be seen. These doors, or gates, are light, and 
work easily, and should be the size of the entrance of the nest box, 
and hinged to the top. 

The little book sells for $i.oo, and is published by Albert 
Angell, Jr., of Orange, N. J. 



Secrets of Feeding 



There is more in the feed than in the breed. To secure tlie 
proper results you must give the right amount of food, of the 
right kind, at the right time. You must closely watch the appe- 
tites of the fowls so that you can properly cater to them. Just 
what would be right for one flock might be wrong for another. 

Fowls in a wild state live on seeds, green stuff and bugs and 
worms. In the state of domestication these articles must be sup- 
plied in some form or other. 

Just before it matures is about the most hungry period in a 
bird's life. It can eat more then than at any other time, and if it 
does not get all it can eat, more harm is done than can be repaired 
during the rest of its life. 

If you will go to the trouble of examining the crops of the 
fowls at night while they are on the roost, it can be pretty well 
determined whether they are getting enough or not. If the crop 
is distended and hard, too much is being fed ; if nearly empty, too 
little is given. The grain in the crop should fill it comfortably 
full, yet the skin oug-ht not to be as tight as a drum, but rather 
loose and yielding. The healthy hen is a hearty eater. 

The poultryman who studies the appetites of his flocks, and 
feeds accordingly, never fails in putting his feed to the best ad- 
vantage. It is always well to have the fowls partially hungry. 
This will induce them to scratch in the hope of finding some more. 
Scratching is the best exercise hens can get. 

To be continually changing the bill of fare rather hurts than 
benefits egg production. Have one system of feeding, but let 
that system contain as much variety as possible. Purity of food 
is important. 

The hungry hen is seldom choice in the selection of her food. 
To feed properly conditions must be studied. The amount and 
quality of food that would keep a Wyandotte in good condition 
would likely overfatten a Plymouth Rock. 

Overfeeding is not feeding well. It is what a hen is able 
to digest and assimilate, and not what it eats, that makes both 
eggs and flesh. The principal requirement of a hen is a balanced 
ration and regular feeding. " A feast to-day and a famine to- 
morrow " will upset the best of layers. If the stock is doing well 
under the present system of feeding, it is a mistake to make a 
change in the bill of fare. 

Careful calculations show that a fowl will eat, on an average, 



SECRETS OF FEEDING. I 9 

three ounces of the morning mash ; two ounces of grain at noon ; 
and four ounces of grain at night. There can be no set rules for 
feeding. Like human beings, fowls vary in appetite. We must 
approximate the amount. The quality must be determined ac- 
cording to the object in view. 

The plan adopted by the writer is to give a large iron spoon- 
ful of mash in the morning for every two fowls in the pen. The 
spoonful means about as much as one would be able to pick up 
with the hand. At night, a full handful of mixed grains for every 
fowl in the pen is about all they can eat, and that amount will 
carry them over in comfort until the next morning. But when 
it is noticed that they do not readily clean up the allowance, the 
next day the amount should be cut down, and continued so until 
the appetite is again fully restored. Some fowls can exist, and 
be prolific, on almost half what would be needed for others. 
When this is noticed in a pen it is advisable to cut down their 
allowance to meet the demand. 

Sudden changes in the bill of fare very often throw fowls off 
their appetite. I had a little experience in that line some time 
ago. A fellow poultryman purchased a lot of sweepings from the 
grain elevators. These sweepings contained wheat, corn, flaxseed, 
bran, middlings, etc. The fowls did not take kindly to the mix- 
ture, and the result was, there was a general decline in the egg 
crop. Just as soon as the old bill of fare was resumed, the egg 
yield increased, and gave a good record. While the articles con- 
tained in that mixture were substantial egg foods, they were not 
rightly balanced, and there was too much waste. 

As a general thing, more fowls are overfed than underfed, 
especially where small flocks, or a limited number, are kept. 
W^hile overfeeding has its bad effects, underfeeding is equally as 
bad. An underfed hen may receive sufficient food to sustain the 
body, but there is a lack of material for egg making. It should 
be known that the first food a fowl takes goes toward the build- 
ing up of waste tissues, and the overplus to the making of eggs 
or fat, according to the quality of food given. 



Feeding Grains 

Feeding secrets that I have learned — note them carefully: 
The carcass of a hen consists of fat, lean meat, and bone. If we 
examine the food that a hen eats we discover, in wheat for exam- 
ple, that it contains starch and oil (the carbohydrates or fat- form- 
ing material), which is the fat of the grain and which, when 
eaten by the animal, goes to make heat, energy and fat. We see 
also little grains of gluten, which might be called the lean of the 
grain, and which, when utilized by the animal, makes the lean 
meat. We further find the mineral matter (the ash), which 



20 POULTRY SECRETS. 

might be called the bone of the wheat, and which, when assimi- 
lated by the animal, makes bone and egg-shell. Therefore it is 
easy to understand why it is that when food is deficient in lime 
and other mineral matter the eggs are soft-shelled; why a ration 
deficient in protein produces weak, spindling chickens, or a ration 
containing an excess of easily digestible carbohydrate matter 
causes the fowl to become excessively fat. Thus we see the 
necessity of having properly balanced rations ; which simply 
means that there must be a properly balanced relationship be- 
tween the food nutrients in the ration in order to produce a per- 
fect animal or a perfect tgg. A proper understanding of this se- 
cret means profit. 

If hens are fed their grain feed in such way that they have 
to exercise vigorously to get their daily feed, they are much more 
apt to la}' than if fed plenty of prepared feed in troughs, allowing 
them to remain idle. This is very important. 

The value of grains for poultry feeding are about in this 
order: Wheat, oats, corn, barley and buckwheat. Corn makes 
fat and furnishes fuel. It should never be the exclusive grain 
diet. The cry of " cholera " comes mainly from sections of the 
country where corn is principally fed to fowls. Strictly speaking, 
these " cholera " cases are indigestion. Indian corn should always 
be fed in conjunction with some protein food like wheat. Both 
barley and buckwheat are fattening. Too much of the latter has 
a tendency to produce costiveness ; it also will whiten the flesh of 
the carcass if fed liberally. 

For the purpose of producting white flesh, feed oats, buck- 
wheat and skim milk; and to produce yellow flesh feed boiled 
pumpkins, turnips and yellow corn. 

Beans, being highly nitrogenous, are excellent as a variety in 
the bill of fare. Pop corn contains more nitrogen and phosphates 
than the regular Indian corn. In feeding grain at night, it should 
be given an hour before dusk, so that the fowls can well fill their 
crops before going to roost. 

The majority of fowls get far too much grain, such as corn, 
oats, wheat, bran, etc., to the exclusion of animal substances and 
green or vegetable foods, such as clover rowen, grass, cabbages, 
beets, turnips, etc. Grain is a very heavy, hearty, heating and 
concentrating staple of diet, and was never intended to be fed 
stock without other addition. 

EngHsh authorities say we American poultry raisers feed 
entirely too much maize (corn), and I know that this is so. We 
do not, as a rule, give enough variety. The farmer seems to think 
that all the hens need is enough corn so that they can help them- 
selves at will, and the reason they assign for poor winter laying 
is that it is unnatural for a hen to lay at that season. As one 
" expert " asserted : " It takes the warm suns of spring to thaw 
open the ovaries." The secret of corn is not too much. 



SECRETS OF FEEDING. 21 

Dr. P. T. Woods' Laying-Food Secret 

Nearly all commercial " laying-foods " now sold to poultry- 
men can be improved by adding " gluten feed." When so im- 
proved and fed as a dry mash the increase in egg yield is re- 
markable. 

Take of the ground-grain, ready-mixed, commercial laying 
food, 4 measures ; best yellow gluten feed, 3 measures ; coarse 
wheat bran, i measure ; mealed alfalfa or mealed clover, i meas- 
ure ; best meat meal, i measure. Mix. Keep before laying stock 
all the time in an easy-access food hopper. In addition feed fresh 
green food freely. To each twenty-five hens also give as first 
morning feed in scratching litter one quart of clean, bright, 
cracked, yellow corn. At noon feed in litter one pint hard sound 
wheat and one pint heavy clipped white oats to each twenty-five 
hens. Keep water, grit, oyster shells and charcoal always before 
them. 

This plan is for laying stock for market eggs only. It is too 
forcing for breeding stock for best results. Early hatched pullets 
and hardy, vigorous yearlings, that do not bag down behind, are 
best to force for eggs. Do not give them too liberal range. Con- 
finement in fresh-air house and small runs is better where eggs 
alone are wanted. 

Do not keep any male bird with this market-egg laying stock. 
It saves his food. The hens lay better without him. It prevents 
blood clots, streaks or spots in the eggs. Sterile or virgin eggs 
so produced keep better, taste better and sell better. Twenty-five 
to fifty layers may be kept in one flock. 

Linseed Meal 

Oil cake meal is linseed meal. It is the product of linseed oil 
factories. It is rich in albumen. Properly fed it promotes gen- 
eral health and keeps the fowls in proper condition. During the 
molting period it is especially beneficial. 

Some writers claim that a teaspoonful of linseed meal is a 
good allowance for a hen. I find that five pounds mixed with one 
hundred pounds of ground grain is the right proportion to feed. 
This discovery has been a valuable one to me. 

Linseed meal is very fattening, and therefore must not be fed 
too strongly. Being of a highly nitrogenous order, it should not 
be fed heavier than at the ratio of about a pound for fifty hens, 
twice a week. An over amount is pretty sure to bring on cases 
of looseness of the bowels. 

Thos. F. Rigg's method: He uses linseed meal in the soft 
food for both breeding stock and growing chicks. He uses it in 
the proportion of about i to 10, — that is, one part linseed to ten 
parts mixture of cornmeal, wheat bran and ground oats. This he 



22 POULTRY SECRETS. 

feeds to the chicks once each day, the mixture being thoroughly 
cooked. 

Oil meal regulates the bowels and keeps the chicks in a 
healthy condition. This means extra money to you. 

Meat 

Animal food is a necessity, but too much of it is apt to cause 
digestive troubles. There is more albumen in a pound of meat 
than in a bushel of corn. 

A meat diet, judiciously fed, will materially increase the egg 
supply. Nearly all breeders are aware of the value of animal 
food ; but, though considered necessary to make up for the lack 
of insect food, it should be fed sparingly and not too often to the 
young fowls, for too much animal food is worse than none at all, 
and is one of the principal causes of all the disastrous diseases 
which are hard to cure. I would not take $20 for this secret. 

Meat scraps must be kept in a cool place. 

Of the commercial meat scraps on the market, those guaran- 
teed to be pure beef scraps are best. Dried blood, such as is sold 
for fertilizer, is dangerous to use for poultry. 

Some feed horse meat. I would not, knowingly, feed horse 
meat to fowls. The meat of a healthy horse, killed on account of 
some accident, would be good, but the bulk of horse meat comes 
from horses that have died or been killed on account of ailment 
or old age. The secret of profitable eggs is high quality. 

Green cut bone, when it can be had fresh, and fed as soon as 
cut, is excellent. It is not a stimulant, and consequently there is 
no unhealthful reaction from its use. But it should be fed judi- 
ciously, as a too liberal feeding is apt to produce worms in fowls. 
An ounce, per hen, two or three times a week, is sufficient. In 
fact, it should be the limit. Feed separately in a trough, and not 
mixed with the mash. 

Salt 

A proper amount of salt aids digestion. It has a tendency to 
ward off disease by keeping the fowls strong and vigorous. An 
authority says that salt is necessary for the purpose of forming 
gastric juice, but if given to excess will produce inflammation of 
the mucous membrane. An excess, too, is apt to cause bowel 
troubles and loss of feathers. 

Salt keeps the whole system in good working order, freeing 
the blood of impurities, thus avoiding colds, canger, or roup. Salt 
aibO has a tendency to expel those miserable wiry gizzard-worms 
often found in fowls. 

It is irenerallv conceded that an ounce of salt is sufficient for 



SECRETS OF FEEDING. 23 

the soft food of one hundred fowls. The best way to salt the 
food is thoroughly to dissolve sufficient salt in the hot water with 
which the mash is to be moistened. This will more evenly dis- 
tribute it. The above pointers seem trivial, but are not. 

Brackenbury's Secret of Scalded Oats 

A remarkably successful system: The way to feed scalded 
oats is to season each feed of oats with salt at the rate of a good 
large tablespoonful to each eight or ten quarts of the oats. 
Sprinkle the salt over the top of the oats, and then pour boiling 
water over them, being careful to use no more water than the oats 
will readily absorb. .Stir or mix them up well. Let the pail in 
which the oats are scalded be covered while they remain in it. 

Proctor's Salt Secret 

Note this carefully: During several seasons when F. W. 
Proctor mixed salt with the feed, about as would suit the human 
palate, he found no difficulty in maintaining a good egg yield until 
cold weather. Last season he omitted salt, and his fowls took to 
molting all through the early and late fall. This shows the value 
of salt as a means of prolonging the life of the feather. 

Charcoal 

Charcoal is not only a great corrective of the evils of injudi- 
cious overfeeding, but is also a good remedy in bowel disorders 
of poultry. 7'his secret is invaluable to me. 

As it has wonderful absorbent powers, especially for gases, it 
should be kept in a thoroughly dry vessel with a close-fitting 
cover, so as to exclude the air. 

It is a good plan to mix powdered charcoal twice a week in 
the mash. 

If charcoal is well heated before given to the poultry, it will 
have a tendency to drivfe off impurities which may have become 
absorbed, and will be equal to fresh charcoal. 



Grit 

Grit must be hard and sharp. Oyster shells are too soft to 
serve this purpose. Lack of this secret causes many failures. 

The supply of grit should never run out. It is best kept in a 
small box constantly within reach of the fowls so that they can 
help themselves at will. 



24 POULTRY SECRETS. 

Oyster Shells 

The hens must partake of a certain amount of lime in some 
form other than that found in the different articles of food. This 
lime is needed for the formation of egg shells, and where there is 
a lack of it, soft-shelled eggs are the result. A valuable hint. 



Green Feed 

Many poultrymen have not learned these success-bringing 
secrets — they are less known than you might think, and far more 
important than they seem. It will be noticed that fowls, if given 
some cabbage or other winter greens the first thing upon opening 
up the houses, will pitch into the stuff to the exclusion of any 
grain that might be within reach. It seems to act as a sort of 
" bracer," " eye-opener " or " tonic." 

Cabbage, raw potatoes, beets, turnips, and other roots 
chopped up about the size of whole corn, are all keenly relished, 
and do a lot of good. 

A very good substitute for green food is cooked or steamed 
cut clover hay or alfalfa. This can be mixed with an equal quan- 
tity of ground grain. Laying hens, especially, should be regu- 
larly fed cut hay during winter, as it is bulky food and contains 
considerable lime and other ingredients that go to making eggs. 

Boiled vegetables are relished, but care must be taken that 
they are not too freely fed, as they have a tendency to overfatten, 
and are apt to cause bowel troubles. 

The Secret of Feed at 1 5 Cents per Bushel 

The value of green food for poultry, both as an egg food 
and a ration for maintaining a healthful condition, has been 
known for years, but of late a method for producing sprouted oats 
feed has been practised by a few knowing poultrymen who have 
derived considerable profit from the idea. I give the methods of 
two men, Mr. J. B. Upson and Mr. Keyser. I cannot emphasize 
too strongly the great importance of a thorough understanding 
of the sprouted oats method. These experiences are based on 
facts, not theories: 

Mr. [Epson's method: The oats are placed in a water-tight 
vessel and covered with warm water, and allowed to stand 
twenty-four hours, when they are emptied into a box that will al- 
low the water to drain oflF freely. Oats are left in this box, and 
wetted twice a day with warm water until the oats have sprouted 
a quarter of an inch long, when they are spread in boxes about 
an inch deep. The sprinkling is continued until the oats are as 



SECRETS OF FEEDING. 25 

large as desired, which is generally four or five inches in length. 
The hens will consume roots as well as tops. 

With a temperature of 60°, ten days will bring this result, 
so that after the first start this green feed can be provided for 
each day. Chicks a week old will eat the oats, and, in fact, leave 
all other feed for them. Fowls prefer sprouted oats to lawn 
clippings. 

The green color can be given to the oats by one day's expo- 
sure to the light. They grow as freely in the dark, and the boxes 
can be stacked over one another if short of room. 

L. E. Keyser's method is as follows : Place the grain to be 
sprouted in a tub and cover with water (warm water is best) and 
allow it to soak for twenty-four hours. Pour off the water and 
let them drain for half a day, then cover the racks with old 
sacking, single thickness, and spread the grain upon the racks to 
the depth of about two inches. If space is limited, the racks may 
be piled one upon another, and if out-of-doors a cover should be 
made for them that will turn rain. 

Night and morning the racks are taken down and the grain 
sprinkled with hot water, the hotter the better, using a hand 
watering-pot. The racks can then be replaced. It does not mat- 
ter if the water in the upper racks drains down into those beneath, 
as it will all run off in time. 

When in proper condition for feeding, the sod will be three 
or four inches thick, and the growth of top will be four to six 
inches high. When feeding, give a block about a foot square to 
fifty hens. Each rack holds about a bushel and a half of grain 
before sprouting, and will make sixteen feeds for fifty hens. It 
will answer the purpose of one grain feed and green food. 

The racks referred to are made as follows : A frame of 
1x3 inch stuff, set edgewise, 4x4 feet, with a partition in the cen- 
ter, is first made. To this frame securely nail lath, placing them 
from one-eighth to one-quarter inch apart. This makes a box 4x4 
feet, three inches deep, with a slatted bottom and a partition in the 
middle. The center partition is only for the purpose of strength- 
ening the lath. The lath should be soaked in water over night, 
so that they will not split when nailing. 



The Sprouted Barley Secret 

A Connecticut poultry raiser has had surprising success with 
barley, lie says: To get green poultry feed barley is the best 
grain. Cover as much as you need with very warm water, and 
let it remain for 24 hours. Then draw off the water, empty- 
ing the grain into a shallow box having holes in the bottom. Keep 
it quite moist with warm water and turn frequently so it will 
sprout evenly. Set in a sunny or warm place, covering with 



26 



POULTRY SECRETS. 



sacks, and in a few days it will germinate and start growing. 
Then when healthy, green sprouts show, use as feed. Have a 
number of boxes in the work to keep a supply. 



An Important Feeding Secret 

The writer has a double run to each house, as shown in the 
illustration. While the fowls are occupying the one run, in 
spring and summer, the vacant run is planted to some vegetable 
crop. As soon as this crop is gathered, the fowls are turned into 
the plot and they find considerable green stuff as well as worms 
and insects. The former lot is then planted 
to rye, and by fall and even during early win- 
ter and spring, a quantity of green food is se- 
cured by each day mowing down sufficient for 
that day's feeding. 

Rape is another valuable green food, and 
should be planted each year. 

Miscellaneous Feed Pointers 

The laying hen is a hard drinker. She 
will consume about a half-pint of water a day, 
and it must never be left out of the bill of fare. 
It is the rule on the farm of the writer to 
water the fowls about a half-hour after feed- 
ing the morning mash. They will not suffer 
by being compelled to wait for the water in 
the early morning, and they are not so apt to 
chill when they have first taken food in the 
crop. 

A pound of cornmeal will measure about 
one and one-half pints ; middlings, one quart ; 
ground oats, two and one-half pints ; wheat 
bran, three pints ; clover meal, two quarts. A 
handy hint. 

" Shorts,'' according to Webster, is the bran and coarse part 
of meal, in mixture. In some sections of this country bran is 
known as '* shorts," and in other places middlings bear that term. 
Brewers' grains contain about four pounds ash (lime, etc.), 
five pounds fat, twenty-five pounds protein (flesh and albumen 
formers), and about fifty pounds of starchy matter in one hundred 
pounds — the balance being water. 

In this country, poultrymen generally claim that there is no 
saving in boiling the food, notwithstanding the increase in bulk, 
as they say that there seems to be a corresponding lessening of its 
sufficing properties; and that seven pints of boiled oats will be 
consumed in the same time and by the same number of fowls as 
four pints of the dry grain. But still I have found that there is 



■■■ 
b;.ckyaf!d 

TO FEN HO. 1 


BACKYARD 
TOPENNaC 


BACKYARD 
TCPEHN0.5 

■ t 


>ENNO.I 

e 


PEN NO? 


PENNtti" 

2 


fflOKTYARD 
TOPENNO.I 

^FT. 


fRONTYARD 
TOPENNO.^ 

,,6FT. . 


fRONTYARO 
TOREK 110.3 

16 FT. 



Double Yard to 
Each Breeding Pen 

While the one yard is occu 

pied the other is sown 

to a green crop. 



SECRETS OF FEEDING. 



27 



economy in feeding the boiled grain in fattening, as it has been 
proved beyond a doubt that the fowls will fatten more readily 
with the latter. 

The bones of the neck, and along the back are the easiest to 
cut in a bone cutter. The bone itself is full of animal matter, 
as well as lime and phosphates, for the making of greater bone 
in the chick, and adding to the feather growth, and for the making 
of the Qgg shell. The gristle, the scraps of meat adhering to the 
bone, with the blood, make a kind of " worst meat " mass, of 
which the chickens will eat every bit. The small bits of bone 
through the mass make the ideal grit supply also. 

The crate-fed bird has a better appearance than a pen-fed 
one, and is not a flabby fat, but has nice solid flesh. 

Soft roasters fed in houses show more average gain than 
when fed in crates. Forty birds may be put in a house 7x20 feet, 
with a yard 10x15 feet. 

In crate feedmg, if a bird will not accumulate fat during the 
first ten days it is shut up in the crate, it is very much wiser to 
take it out. When you put them in the crate you should starve 
them for the first day or so. 

Some birds can be put in a crate for two weeks, and fed three 
times a day, and money will be lost on them. On the other hand, 
some birds can be fed in that way for five weeks and still make a 
profit. Some birds are ready in ten days and others after being 
fed for two weeks will commence to go back in weight. 

Chick Feed Secrets 



Here is a secret that will surely help you : The cost of food, 
per chick, to weigh one pound, is three cents for ground grain; 
or three and seven- 
tenths on whole grain. ' .-^tt?^^,; 

An easily pre- 
pared chick food : Six 
pounds cracked wheat ; 
two pounds finely 
cracked corn ; one 
pound rolled oats, or 
pin-head oatmeal ; one ^t^g^j^w 
pound millet seed ; protected chick Runs 

half - pound broken Measure : 2 feet wide and 2 feet high, 12 to 16 feet in length, 

rirP-twn r>niinr1c f\r^f- covered with one-inch wire netting. Should be moved 
nee , IWO pOUnUS nne to new ground every two weeks. Used by hen 

granulated beef scrap ; ^°^ ^^'" ^''°°'^- 

half-pound granulated bone; six pounds pearl grit. This is the 
same as expensive prepared chick foods which cost twice as much. 
Robert J. Terry's secret formula : For chick food, to be given 
after the young are a day or two old (before that time dried bread 




28 POULTRY SECRETS. 

crumbs should be given): Cracked wheat, twenty-five parts; 
hulled or cut oats, fifteen parts ; white millet seed, twelve parts ; 
small cracked com, ten parts ; small cracked peas, six parts ; 
broken rice, two parts ; rape seed, one part ; small grit, ten parts. 
Rolled oats can be used in place of hulled oats. The food is fed 
dry and brings good results. 



Gowell's Fattening Secret 

If chickens intended for market, weighing one and a quarter 
to one and a half pounds, are placed by themselves in a house with 
a yard say twelve feet square, and fed on a porridge three times 
a day, they can be gotten ready for market in very short order. 

The porridge is made of six parts cornmeal, two parts mid- 
dlings, one-half part linseed meal and two parts beef scraps, by 
weight, and mixed with milk or tepid water. 

Feed all they will eat in one-half hour, when the troughs 
must be removed and cleaned. Keep the yard clean by covering 
with sand, straw or hay. The birds will stand this feeding for 
two or three weeks with good appetites. When they commence 
taking less they are ready to be dressed for market, and should 
weigh two and a quarter pounds dressed. ( Note : I have used 
Prof. Gowell's secret method with great success.) 

Greiner's Com Feeding Secrets 

T. Greiner, of New York State, an experienced and success- 
ful poultryman, has demonstrated the following facts in regard 
to feeding corn : 

Corn, of all cereals, is just the one for which all fowldom 
seems to have a very marked preference, just as children have a 
preference for candies and rich cakes. 

Hens will fill their crops to the very limit of capacity with 
com, in less time and with less effort than they could with any 
other cereal. 

The exclusive or excessive use of corn, while permissible and 
useful just once in a fowl's life (shortly before it is sent to the 
block), will lead to all sorts of evils in a flock of layers, and will 
cripple the prospects for a big egg-yield. In the hands of the 
careful feeder of poultry, it is a good, useful and almost indis- 
pensable cereal, and a great aid to success, especially during the 
colder portions of the year. 

Some of the best ways of preparing and feeding corn to 
poultry seem to be little known to the general poultry keeper, and 
so are little practiced. 

The process of cracking does not add anything to the food 



SECRETS OF FEEDING. 29 

v^lue of whole corn, but gives a chance for a loss of some of the 
smaller particles, besides adding the expense of cracking to the 
cost of the product. The tremendous digestive powers of the 
larger birds will take care of whole corn nearly as readily as of 
cracked corn. The secret of the advantage of cracked corn is 
mainly the greater demand for effort and exercise on the part of 
the hen which hunts for it among the litter of the scratching shed. 

But there are even better ways of feeding corn than giving it 
in cracked form : The secret is in feeding it on the cob. Let the 
corn get some age,, rather than feed it new. It is safer. But 
even new corn can be made safe for feeding if you know this 
secret : Place the ears in a hot oven, and let them get hot, brown, 
perhaps even scorched and charred. Then take them out and 
feed them while still warm, on a clean floor, for an evening meal. 
The hens will work with the ears, pick at them, and soon get the 
corn off the cob — with effort enough to afford proper exercise. 
The scorched and charred portions of corn take the place of char- 
coal, and promote the hens' general health. In mild weather, 
with good sound corn, this heating will not be required. 

Another secret : Run the ears throligh an ordinary feed cut- 
ter, cutting them in about two-inch lengths. The passage and 
pressure between the two iron rollers loosens the kernels suffi- 
ciently so that the hens can more surely pick off every single one. 
If you will watch a flock of hens, toward evening, busily engaged 
and hugely enjoying themselves with a quantity of corn on the 
cob thus cut, you will at once believe that you have discovered a 
secret worth knowing. 



Secrets of Housing' and Care 



A poultry plant should be planned with a view to saving 
steps. This extra labor costs money, for which there is no equiva- 
lent. Besides, houses built on the colony plan are far more expen- 
sive than if in one continuous line. By bringing them together, 
one end of each house is saved. This will mean quite an item in 
lumber. The colony houses, too, are much colder than a continu- 
ous house. 

High ceilings in houses are expensive, and cold. They 
should be built as low as possible without danger of bumping 
heads. Low houses are kept comfortable by the animal heat 
thrown oif b\ the fowls. 




Colony Chick Coops 

Measure 4x4 feet, ground floor, and 4 feet high to peak of roof. Yards 125 running feet. Large 
enough to start 50 chicks, decreasing number of chicks as they mature 



The working unit in building a hen house is the floor and air 
space required for each pen. Prof. Rice has discovered that a 
safe working rule is about live to six square feet of floor space 
for every fowl. The lighter breeds, because they are more active 
and restless, require about as much room and air as larger breeds. 

There is a great difference of opinion as to the best method 
of calculating the number of fowls a poultry house will accommo- 
date. The common method of calculation is based upon floor 
space, the height being considered immaterial. Houses built on 



SECRETS OF HOUSING AND CARE. 3 1 

this principle are low, and consequently the least expensive that 
can be constructed. Another method of calculation is based upon 
the amount of perch room, while the third is based upon the vol- 
ume of cubic contents. The right method is to allow at least ten 
cubic feet of space per fozvl. 

In view of the widely divergent views on this subject, and the 
lack of definite knowledge, K. J. J. Mackenzie and C. S. Orwin, 
of the Southeastern Agricultural College of England, undertook a 
series of experiments to determine more definitely the amount of 
air space required by poultry. They studied the frequency and 
rate of respiration in fowls, the amount of carbon dioxid thrown 
off, the amount of vitiation of the air which the fowls could stand 
without injury, and examined different types of poultry houses 
with reference to their suitability for furnishing proper conditions 
of ventilation. 

Assuming that the air of poultry houses should not contain 
more than nine parts of carbon dioxid per 10,000 of air, they esti- 
mated that each fowl must be supplied with about forty cubic 
feet of air per hour, the requirements of small fowls being practi- 
cally the same as of large. 

In wooden poultry houses with ventilation at the top the air 
apparently changes about four times per hour. Each bird must, 
therefore, have ten or more cubic feet allotted to it. Now then : 

The number of birds a house will hold depends on its volume 
and not on the floor space or perch room. The maximum number 
is found by dividing the volume expressed as cubic feet by ten. I 
have learned to keep within this number. 

The greatest capacity can be most economically obtained from 
a given amount of timber if the house is cubical in shape. This 
cannot be quite realized in practise owing to the necessity for a 
sloping roof, but the nearer one gets to it the better. 

In building long, continuous houses, the pens should be 
divided by tight partitions, either cloth or boards (the latter pre- 
ferred), tc avoid draughts. Otherwise cold and dangerous air 
currents will be formed whenever windows, doors or ventilators 
are open. 

Prof. Rice says that when air is warmed it expands and rises ; 
cooling has the opposite effect. He further says : Provide the 
houses with good ventilation. Pure air is as necessary to good 
^gg production as pure food and pure water. Damp air may be 
removed by ventilators, which will necessarily make the house a 
little cooler. Warm air rises. 

But here's my secret: Scratching-shed houses do not need 
ventilators. They are self-acting in that respect. If the curtains 
are drawn up each morning, the fresh air will quickly enter, and 
the pens will receive the very best airing. On the farm of the 
writer, no ventilators are placed on the houses, but the scratching- 
shed plan is used. The result is that the houses never have a foul 



32 POULTRY SECRETS. 

odor, and the fowls get the benefit of the outside air without be- 
ing compelled to face rain or snowstorms, or heavy winds. 

On this point Jacobs some years ago made a very useful 
discovery. He found that it is a very difficult matter to ventilate a 
poultry house without causing draughts of air on the fowls at 
night. The proper mode, he learned, is to keep the poultry house 
clean, leave the doors open during the day, and shut the house at 
night, allowing no ventilation at all. That was discovered before 
the present scratching-shed plan was adopted. By the latter 
method, we can better air our houses than we could with the old- 
style houses, and by simply leaving the door open during the day 
time. But many men do not grasp this vital fact. 

The roof is practically the most expensive part of a house. It 
is important that the best attention be paid to it. Some poultry- 
men prefer shingles, and some heavy roofing-paper. There are 
advantages and disadvantages in both. Frost will gather on the 
shingle roof, inside the house, unless the roof is ceiled. This 
makes an additional cost. Shingles, too, are apt to warp in time, 
causing leaks in the roof. But a shingle roof, well put on, — 
using No. 3 eighteen-inch cedar shingles, and giving the roof a 
coat of paint, will be better. One gallon of paint will cover 250 
square feet of shingle roofing. Some of the earlier roofing papers 
did very well until there was a break in the paper, and then the 
first good, strong windstorm would quickly tear it all off. But 
to-day we have roofing that is strong and durable, looking very 
much like tar roofing, but which contains no tar. Tar rooUng 
contracts and expands zvith the weather, hut this new roofing does 
not. The roofing is put on with tin caps, and then the seams are 
cemented, and the entire roof coated with a graphite paint. The 
writer has such roofs on his hen houses, and has had them for 
quite a number of years. They are as good to-day as the day they 
were put on. This hint saves money, and yet few builders know it. 

There seems to be quite a difference in opinions regarding 
the proper flooring for poultry houses. Some writers claim that 
board floors, heavily covered with sand, are the best, arguing the 
point that they are more dry. Others prefer concrete cement, for 
the reason that it is rat-proof and easily cleaned. My secret is 
to use nothing hut the natural earth. If there is a brick founda- 
tion around the hen house, and the floor is filled up a foot with 
earth, making it that much higher than the level of the out- 
side ground, the floor will not only be dry and rat-proof, but the 
hens will find more comfort in it, and will not only have something 
to scratch in but will be able to wallow in it, taking a needed dust 
bath. 

The perches in the houses should be not over two feet from 
the ground floor, and about six inches under these perches there 
should be placed a solid board platform to catch the droppings. 
All perches should be on a level. The hest perch is a 2x2 inch 



SECRETS OF HOUSING AND CARE. 33 

scantling, planed and the edges rounded. It should be placed so 
that the fowls will roost on the two-inch side. These broad roosts 
give a fov/1 the chance to spread its feet, so that it will not be 
compelled to cramp them to hold itself, as is the case with the old- 
style round perches. 

Important things IVe discovered: The nests should be mov- 
able. This is so even where trap nests are used. This gives a 
good chance to take them outdoors and give a good cleaning, 
which should be done at least every spring and fall. The best way 
to place nests is to have a board platform upon which to set 
them. This platform should be about two feet from the floor, 
and broad enough so that there would be from eight to ten inches 
on the platform, in front of the nests, for the hens to walk. 
Never nail up nests so that the hens must fly on them. Trap 
nests should never be placed on the floor, as the hens are apt to 
scratch dirt in them, often clogging them so they will not work 
accurately. Hens prefer semi-darkened nests to those out in the 
open light. 

In heavy-soil countries dust-boxes should be placed in each 
pen, so that the fowls can wallow in the dirt. In light-soil sec- 
tions, and especially when the houses have scratching sheds 
attached to them, no dust-boxes need be provided, as the fowls 
can dust themselves with the loose dirt on the floor of the shed. 

Fencing is another important matter to consider. After try- 
ing all or nearly all of the styles of wire-netting fencing, I have 
gone back to the old Climax mesh, which has proved to be a 
money saver and much more durable. As it is galvanized after 
being woven, it seldom ever rusts. Some of the new styles are 
galvanized before weaving, and the result is that they sooner or 
later rust and break. I have in use Climax wire netting that has 
now stood the test for nearly fifteen years, and practically is as 
good as the day it was first put up. The Climax wire netting can 
be purchased from any dealer in poultry supplies. 

In putting up fencing, no top rail should be used. By having 
the posts eight feet apart, the wire can be stretched by hand, and 
if carefully done will not sag. 

Secret of Successful Yarding 

I have found that for best results in egg production yarding 
is better than free range. I have discovered that for tenderness 
of flesh in market chickens, yarding is preferable. On the other 
hand, I have proved that for quick growth of young stock, free 
range is the thing. 

Some years ago the colony plan for laying fowls was strongly 
advocated. But it never became popular, principally on account 
of the amount of labor necessary to go about a large farm and 
attend to the individual flocks. This was especially distasteful 
during bad weather. 



34 POULTRY SECRETS. 

But when reference is made to yarding, it must be understood 
that generous-sized runs are meant, and not the small enclosures 
often found on city lots. 

All poultry runs should be at least one hundred feet in length 
— and this divided into two separate runs. That is, have a run of 
fifty feet in front of the house, and fifty feet on the back. Then 
as the fowls are occupying the one, the other can be sown to some 
green crop and thus disinfected. In this way the soil will always 
be pure. This secret alone is worth many dollars. 

An argument in favor of free range is that the fowls get 
much needed exercise. vSo they do, but just as much exercise can 
be given them where scratching sheds are provided, and where 
the grain is thrown among litter so they must work for it. 

The fact is that in every case where phenomenal layers have 
been found, or where trap nests are used, the fowls are yarded. 
In free range there is too much danger of hens hiding their nests, 
in which case no record could be kept of their product. 

In market chickens, too much exercise toughens the sinews, 
and the flesh of a yearling bird is tougher than that of a two-year- 
old fowl yarded. This is especially so where corn has been the 
principal diet. 

On the farm of the writer, a specialty is made of supplying 
spring roasters to a select retail trade. The reputation of the 
farm for choice, juicy carcasses is so well established that even at 
an advanced price the orders cannot be regularly served, they be- 
ing compelled to go in rotation. The roasters are caged and fed 
a balanced ration, are never hog fat, but always in a good condi- 
tion. The result is, the meat is sweet and tender, and as only the 
purest of food is given, the flesh is never tainted with some pecu- 
liar taste, nor does it have that strange odor so often noticed in 
poultry direct from the farmer. 

But when it comes to raising young stock, especially when 
growing them for future breeders or roasters, free range gives 
them quick maturity, and they are all the more hardy for the 
rough and tumble life they are having. 

In the case of broiler raising, however, range must not be 
given, or the carcass grows too lanky. 

A big advantage in runs is that you economize on territory. 
The poultry houses and runs of the largest farm I saw in New 
England, did not occupy more than five acres of land, although the 
farm proper covered thirty acres. The young, growing stock 
were allowed the remaining twenty-five acres to roam over. 

But yarded poultry must he zvell taken care of. They must 
be regularly fed, must be made to exercise, the houses must be 
kept clean, and everything possible must be done for their com- 
fort. 

Neglected poultry, especially if yarded, will soon be a finan- 
cial loss. 



SECRETS OF HOUSING AND CARE. 35 

Secret of Having Healthy Fowls 

A veteran poultry raiser who has learned not to fear disease, 
runs his plant under the following rules. A long experience has 
given him an inside track on fowl-health. 

He starts from the very foundation. When he mates up his 
breeding pens he excludes all that have ever been sick. He wants 
strong, vigorous birds, and birds whose ancestors were also hardy 
stock. With this start he is able to do good work. He avoids 
in-breeding, knowing that relationship will deteriorate the stock, 
and new blood will strengthen the constitution. 

He never overcrowds his flocks, as experience has proved 
that better health is maintained and better results secured from 
small families than from large ones. Besides, such vices as 
feather-pulling, egg-eating, etc., invariably come from over- 
crowding. 

He believes in fresh air, and his houses are so constructed 
that there is a constant presence of fresh air in them without the 
possibility of draughts. He is generous in the size of both his 
houses and runs ; and, as the size of the flocks is limited, the fowls 
when compelled to remain indoors during bad weather of winter 
never sufter. The scratching sheds attached to the roosting pens 
are heavily littered and among this litter grain is thrown so that 
the fowls secure plenty of exercise in scratching, and the combs 
redden up, there is great activity, and naturally there is a good 
egg crop.^ 

He breeds only from matured stock so that he may have 
strength in the youngsters right from the start. He feeds gen- 
erously of such foods as are best adapted to his wants ; and he has 
regular times 'for feeding, that the fowls may not become restless 
on account of waiting to be served. He knows that fowls quickly 
become accustomed to regular hours for feeding, and that unless 
they are attended to they will get restless and cranky. He feeds 
the best of food. The first consideration with him is purity. 
Quality is worth more than cheapness, and the so-called " cheap " 
foods he has long since found to be the dearest in the end. 

He is particular in the care of his flocks. Everything must 
be kept perfectly clean. The droppings are gathered up at least 
every other day; the atmosphere of the houses is kept free from 
offensive odors ; ailing fowls are at once removed so that they 
may not contaminate the air ; the drinking vessels are kept clean 
and only fresh water allowed in them ; the feed troughs are kept 
clear of filthy or sour food. In fact all these small details are 
carefully looked after. 

Upon such a foundation there is no trouble to build up a 
strong, thrifty race of fowls of any breed. 

I so often hear the report that such and such a breed is of a 
delicate nature, when the truth is that the breed is hardy, but that 



36 POULTRY SECRETS. 

certain strains of that breed have not been properly handled and 
for that reason a delicacy of constitution is found there.. 

Fowls as a rule are hardy, regardless of breed, but no breed 
can suffer neglect. Some years ago I saw in print that the white- 
feathered birds were not so strong and prolific as the colored or 
parti-colored varieties. This theory, however, has been disproved 
by the success and the good work of the White Wyandottes. 



The Secret of Successful Molting 

The proper months for molting are August, September and 
October, but in young stock it is apt to begin a month earlier and 
in old stock a month later. The older the fowl the more delayed 
will be the commencement of this period. 

The sexes should be separated until the fowl has completed 
her new growth. In fact, it is not advisable to remate before the 
first of the new year. 

Any weakness a fowl may have is pretty sure to develop at 
molting time. Molting is not a disease, but the strain in growing 
new feathers is apt to weaken the fowl, making it more or less 
susceptible to sickness. 

It is generally accepted that it takes one hundred days for a 
fowl to change its coat of feathers. 

The Van Dresser method of starving and then overfeeding 
fowls to make a quick molt has not stood the test expected. The 
best poultrymen still stand by Nature's method. 

Both sunflower seed and linseed meal are valuable additions 
to the bill of fare at this season of the year. The bill of fare 
should be rich in nitrogen. Green food is important. Unless the 
material in the food is of a feather-making nature, the fowls can- 
not shed the old coat. 

When a hen receives a large supply of carbonaceous food she 
increases her fat without supplying the necessary elements needed 
in the renewal of the feathers, and there is a general wasting 
away, inactivity of the bird, and death. When no stimulant is 
given, the shafts of the new feathers seem to stick on too long, 
not splitting open freely. 



Secret of Telling the Laying Hen 

Before the advent of the trap nest, quite a number of ideas 
were advanced concerning the general make-up of the laying 
hen, but none has been so accurate as that furnished by the trap 
nest. The hen is caught in the act, and is known by the number 
of the band on her leg. The number is placed on the Qgg, and at 
night credit is given on a record sheet kept for that purpose. This 



SECRETS OF HOUSING AND CARE. 37 

method takes time and attention, but is absolutely accurate and 
conclusive. 

There is another secret method for telling the laying hen, and 
that is by the condition of the pelvic bones. Just as the size of the 
udder of a cow is a good indication of its milk qualities, so is the 
condition of the pelvic bones a good sign of the egg-laying quali- 
ties of the hen. 

The pelvic bones are located at the lower part of the abdomen 
— in the rear of the fowl — between which the egg passes when it 
is being laid. 

If the tip of the fore-finger fits snugly between these bones, 
the hen is a poor layer. If it requires the tips of the first and 
second finger snugly to fill the space between these bones, it is a 
good layer ; and if the tips of the first three fingers are needed to 
fill this space, the hen is an excellent layer. 

A pullet that has not laid, or has just begun laying, will have 
these bones of the pelvis almost touching. The bones gradually 
widen as the fowl continues laying, and at two years of age are 
much farther apart than at one year old. 

This method of determining the laying hens in a flock and the 
cocks apt to produce egg laying strains is the central thought of 
the well known and widely advertised Walter Hogan System of 
Fergus Falls, Minn., the Potter System advertised by T. F. Pot- 
ter & Company, of Downer's Grove, 111., and Palmer's Method of 
Selection, sold by C. H. Palmer, Alfred, N. Y. Each of these 
concerns claims to be the originator of this method, but it is prob- 
able that the same observation of the significance of the position 
of the pelvic bones has been made independently by many poultry- 
men as long as poultry have been kept. 



Secret of 200 Eggs per Hen per Year 

At the end of the year it can be readily determined which 
trap-nest hens are worth breeding from. Then by breeding from 
only the best layers each year, the flock may gradually and surely 
be brought toward the 200-egg standard. 

Trap nests not only tell its which are our best layers, hut we 
also learn the size and color of the eggs laid, and which hens lay 
eggs that are strong in fertility. 

The trap nest will pick out the layers of the largest eggs, en- 
abling the breeder gradually to get his whole flock to produce 
eggs of the same size. When I began my experiments with traps, 
I found that seventy-five per cent, of my hens were laying either a 
white or a light-colored egg; to-day ninety-nine per cent, lay 
brown eggs. 



38 POULTRY SECRETS. 

Trap Nest Secrets 

On my farm the traps are looked after two or three times in 
the morning and once in the afternoon. The bulk of the eggs are 
laid before noon, and as I allow a nest for about every three hens 
in the pen, it is not frequent that any hens must wait their turn on 
account of all the nests being filled. 

I use trap nests principally to pick out the cold-weather lay- 
ers. To me it is not so much the number of eggs a hen lays in a 
year, as the number she will give during the fall, winter and 
spring, when prices are the best. I breed only from the best win- 
ter layers. 

Practical trap fronts which can be attached to any kind of 
nest can now be purchased so cheaply that it is not profitable to 
get up any " home-made device." Trap nests that are operated 
Idv the use of strings, pulleys or catches get out of order very 
quickly. It seems that all the good ideas are already patented. 

Secret of Telling the Age 

The age of a fowl can generally be judged by its spurs. 
Some cockerels show more spur than do some cock birds. A pullet 
will show rose-colored veins on the surface of the skin, under the 
wings, and long silky hairs will be found growing there. These 
hairs and veins disappear after the pullet is a year old, and the 
skin becomes white and veinless. The skin, too, in a young bird 
is supple, and the scales thin and brilliant. The skin gets coarser 
and stronger, and the scales harder, as the bird grows, and the 
nail of the last toe, which does most of the work when the bird 
scratches, gets much worn. Also, the eyelids acquire wrinkles as 
the bird gets older, and there is a slightly shrivelled look on the 
face. This becomes more and more pronounced with age. 

To some extent the texture of the legs is a guide, as also is 
the delicacy and freshness of the skin of the face and comb, yet 
an occasional hen will preserve her youthful appearance to a 
remarkable degree. The skin of the body is a better test, it 
becoming coarser and drier looking with age. 

It is more difficult to judge the age of water fowls than of 
other poultry, partly from absence of spurs, partly from greater 
longevity, and partly because the water keeps their legs soft and 
fresh. Ducks waddle more heavily as they grow older, and after 
two or three years acquire a depression down the breast. An 
abdominal pouch of great size indicates great age in geese. 

Turkeys up to a year old are likely to have black feet, which 
grow pink up to three years of age, when they gradually turn gray 
and dull. 



E^i( Secrets 



Secret of Preserving Eggs 

Eggs can be kept several months and be sufficiently good for 
kitchen use if packed in salt. For this purpose ordinary fruit jars 
are very good. About an inch of salt is placed in the bottom of 
the jar and the eggs are stood in this, not allowing them to touch. 
Salt is then worked around the eggs, and another layer placed on 
top, and so on until the jar is filled. The eggs should not only be 
fresh when packed, but should be laid by unmated hens, as it is the 
fertility that quickly spoils eggs. 



Secret of Killing the Fertility of Eggs 

Fanciers, after the season for selling hatching eggs, generally 
market their egg crop for table use ; and, in order to prevent any 
one from hatching those eggs, resort to various tricks to kill the 
germ. Some dip them in boiling water for a few seconds. This 
partially hardens the albumen, and the eggs taste as though they 
were stale. Others smear the egg with lard so as to close the 
pores. This causes the germ to die and the egg quickly spoils. 
And still others make a hole in the egg with a needle which 
pierces the yolk, causing it to break. Such eggs have the appear- 
ance of being addled. All such practices are unfair to the buyer 
of table eggs. 

On the farm of the writer, as soon as the breeding season is 
over the male birds are removed from the pens, and the egg crop 
goes to market. Such eggs are unfertile, and being so will keep 
in a fresh condition twice as long as fertilized eggs. In fact, an 
unfertile egg never rots. 



Secret of Winter Eggs 

I have discovered that it is best to have the pullets start lay- 
ing the latter part of November, and have found that such birds 
as a rule give the best results during the winter. 



40 POULTRY SECRETS. 

To prepare for the winter's work, the pullets should be placed 
in their winter quarters as early in October as possible, so that 
they will feel more at home. Moving pullets from place to place 
will so upset them that laying is often delayed for a month or 
more. 

Large families must be avoided. For profit a family of fif- 
teen is best. Nothing is gained by crowding twenty-five birds in 
a house that will comfortably quarter but fifteen. 

The scratching-shed houses are to be preferred, especially for 
young birds. These houses admit plenty of air, and induce the 
stock to exercise by scratching among a lot of litter. Pullets 
placed in tightly-built houses never do as good work as when 
they are accustomed to conditions as near outdoors as possible. 
Another advantage in the scratching-shed house is that the fowls 
can exercise indoors during bad weather, and are not compelled 
to endure all sorts of weather. The stock must be protected, and 
herein is a great secret in winter egg production. 

A writer in an exchange says : '' How shall we induce the 
hens to lay when eggs are scarce and high? Up to the present 
time it has baffled the world. We can count on the annual scarcity 
of eggs and accompanying high prices as confidently as we can 
count on the regularity of the tides of the ocean. . . . When I 
see an occasional hen lay regularly right through November, 
December and January, and even see an occasional man's whole 
flock do the same thing, I believe that the day is coming when we 
shall be able to understand just the conditions which can be de- 
pended on to produce the desired result in any given case. . . . 
I once supposed that if a hen was fed a ration that supplied every- 
thing needed to carry on the functions of life and produce eggs, 
and in liberal quantities, eggs would surely be forthcoming. I 
now know by sad experience that while this holds true during 
what we call the natural laying season, it does not hold true in 
autumn and winter." 

Now that experience is no doubt the experience of the ma- 
jority who keep poultry, but, nevertheless, it does not prove a fact. 
I have kept poultry for fully thirty years or more, and admit that 
at first my experience was like that of the writer just quoted. But 
I find it different now — our summer egg crop is not nearly so 
large as that of winter. What is the secret? Trap nests, selec- 
tion, proper management, care and feed. 

A. F. Hunter says : " There are thousands and thousands of 
farmers grumbling because their fowls do not lay eggs when the 
eggs would bring good prices (in December, January and Febru- 
ary), when it is not the fowls' fault at all, but the fault of the 
cruel ' penny-wise and pound-foolish ' owners, who, to save a dol- 
lar or two in the grain account buy cheap, damaged food for the 
fowls, and then expect them to make eggs." 



EGG SECRETS. 4I 

That is correct so far as the feed question goes, but it is not 
feed alone that must be considered. In my experience I have 
learned that it is most important to have the proper housing, and 
to have the stock not only early-hatched, but hatched from eggs 
laid by winter layers. That's the real secret. 

I use trap nests and keep a strict record of every egg laid be- 
tween October ist and June ist. In making up my breeding pens 
for the following year I select only the best winter layers — those 
giving the highest records (as pullets) during the months men- 
tioned. I discard all pullets that do not lay in January. Each 
year these trap-nest trials are repeated, and in this way each year 
I strengthen the ability of the stock to give good results in winter 
eggs. Pullets hatched between April ist and May 15th should 
lay well during December and January — they certainly will if 
properly grown. 

A well-known poultry authority has the following remarks to 
make on this interesting subject: "Much has been said and 
written regarding the keeping of hens or pullets for winter layers, 
and as yet the question is as far from being answered as it was 
years ago. Those who have taken care of their year-old hens, 
looked after them during the spring and summer and watched 
over them during the molting season, are a unit in saying that 
hens in their second year are the most profitable, while those who 
neglect them and allow them to get in poor condition complain 
and say they do not lay so well as pullets." 

I am not ready to endorse that, for certainly a two-year-old 
hen cannot have sufficient control and strength to produce the 
number of eggs that a pullet, with all the vigor of youth, can 
command. But I have had yearling hens beat my pullets' records. 

During [899 T began experimenting with pullets, and from 
several pens secured 9,808 eggs. During 1900 these same birds 
— as yearling hens — laid 13,702 eggs, a gain of 3,894 eggs. But 
even that cannot be taken as a rule, for I have in many cases had 
the pullets out-distance the yearlings, and as for two-year-olds, I 
never expected them to reach even the yearling record. 

The same authority continues : " Hens, if through their molt 
before November 1st, should and will begin to lay during that 
month, while, on the other hand, the time of maturity of the 
pullets will determine definitely whether or not they will be profit- 
able during the winter months. If they are hatched too early 
they will begin to lay in August, and will molt in October, and 
therefore will not lay again until spring. If they are hatched 
too late they will not mature before cold weather, and, as with 
the early-hatched poultry, they will not lay during the time 
when eggs are scarce and highest. They must be hatched at ex- 
actly the right time, and they must be kept growing, else they will 
not make good winter layers." 



42 POULTRY SECRETS. 

Secret of Eggs all the Year 

During the months of October, November and December of 
each year, there is always a more or less scarcity of fresh eggs, 
and the prices, in consequence, go up. This scarcity is due to 
two things in general: the molting period for old hens, and the 
absence of early-hatched pullets. 

It is at that time of the year that the condition powder and 
the poultry-food man begins to cry his wares, and it is surprising 
to see what business he does. While I beHeve in the tonic effects 
of a good condition powder, or a scientifically-prepared poultry 
food, I do not credit these articles with all that is claimed for 
them. 

They should be used with judgment — a little goes a great 
way. To accustom the fowls to them is but to lose the tonic 
effect. They are not so much calculated to make eggs as they 
are to tone up the tissues and to keen the appetite. In that condi- 
tion the fowl eats more freely and better assimilates the egg food 
that it gets in good pure grain. 

This scarcity of fresh eggs on the farm can only be remedied 
by early hatches of pullets. Pullets hatched in March and April, 
and well grown, will begin laying in the fall, and continue in the 
good work right through the winter. The molting hens will 
again start up in January, and by February the combined work of 
the pullets and hens will give a big supply of eggs, and it will be 
noticed that in February the market prices for eggs are on the 
decline. 

The great trick is to get the eggs during the last three months 
of the year, and this can be done by early pullets given good hous- 
ing, good feed and good care. 

Secret of Having Perfect Eggs 

It is common every now and then to read an account in some 
newspaper of one of the subscribers bringing an extraordinarily 
large egg into the office of the editor, and the aforesaid editor at 
once heralds the news as though it was one of great public im- 
portance. 

Such eggs are important, but not in the same way as meant 
by the editor. They are important to the poultryman inasmuch as 
they are danger signals. They tell of an unhealthy condition of 
the hen that laid them. No strong, healthy hen will lay either a 
double-yoked egg, a round egg, or a badly-shaped egg. Some- 
thing is wrong with the ovaries of a hen that lays anything differ- 
ent than a regular-shaped egg. The mam trouble lies in the fact 
that the hen is overfat. Soft-shelled eggs can come from one of 
two things, viz., lack of sufficient lime in the food, or of an over- 
fat condition. 



EGG SECRETS. 43 

Instead of rejoicing at these extra-large eggs, there is cause 
for regret. At once the matter should be investigated, and the 
general condition of the flock looked into. If it is found that all, 
or the majority of them, are heavy, it is best to cut down the quan- 
tity of the carbonaceous or starch foods, and increase the nitro- 
genous material. 

In the main, the egg-eating habit is caused by soft-shelled 
eggs being' laid. The hens get a taste of the egg and thus form 
the appetite. 

To prevent these bad eggs the fowls should be compelled to 
exercise, and there should be such feed given as will supply 
plenty of lime, and in addition a small trough of cracked oyster 
shell should be constantly within reach of the fowls, so they can 
help themselves at will. 

Kohr's Secret of Selecting Layers 

J. W. Kohr sends us a unique method of selecting layers that 
favorably responded to all tests made with trap-nest hens. He 
writes : Every good layer will, when about half grown, form 
the position of the feathers along the sides of the comb, and the 
more these feathers stand up and curl forward, resembling a 
brush, the better layer she will be. For six years I used this 
secret, selecting such pullets which had the largest brush around 
the comb, and my flock averaged 182 eggs per hen per year. Not 
using trap nests, I cannot say what the highest individual record 
was. 

I discovered this secret about fourteen years ago. My two 
sons received a present of a hen, which became a great pet and 
an excellent layer. The boys named her " Old Shorty," and I 
noticed that she had loose feathers along the comb that stood up 
and were curled forward, resembling a brush. I bred her, and 
all of her daughters that inherited the brush along the comb were 
good layers. 

The value of this secret is that if one wishes to purchase good 
laying stock, he need not handle them to pick out the layers, as 
one is obliged to by any other method. You can tell at a distance 
if the hens are good, medium or poor layers. 

Professor Rice's Fat Hen Secret 

Professor James E. Rice, of Cornell University, probably the 
foremost living American poultry expert, gives me the following 
statement of his conclusions as to the proper physical condition of 
hens for laying. 

I believe that I am not misjudging the natural laws govern- 
ing reproduction in domestic animals when I lay down the broad, 
general principle that a condition of pregnancy carries with it a 



44 POULTRY SECRETS. 

tendency to fatness. When we apply this principle specifically 
to fowls we feel justified in assuming that a condition of egg- 
laying is not only a condition of reproduction but also of preg- 
nancy. After a very large number of examinations of fowls in 
various conditions of laying we find that in every instance, a fowl 
which is in a laying condition has a large amount of surplus fat 
in her body, and, conversely, a hen that is not in a laying condition 
is invariably poor or at least does not show a condition of fatness. 
It would appear that a poor hen cannot lay. 

When we seek an explanation for this condition we find the 
composition of the yolk of the egg gives us a clew on which to 
base a theory. The yolk of the egg contains approximately 64 
per cent, fat, while the white of the egg and the shell contain no 
fat. The yolk is the first part of the egg to be developed. It is, 
in fact, the enlarged ovule that develops from the muscular tissue 
of the ovary. Manifestly, the first part of the egg, therefore, 
cannot be developed unless there is surplus fat in the fowl's body. 

Observations in methods of feeding also bear out the truth- 
fulness of the above statement, because fowls, in order to lay well, 
must be given all of the right kind of food that they will eat and 
digest if they are to give continuous egg production. This is be- 
cause the egg is made from the surplus nourishment assimilated 
by the fowl over and above the actual maintenance ration. 

The fact that a hen must be more or less fat in order to lay 
undoubtedly will be questioned by most persons who have not 
closely observed the relationship between the physical condition 
of a fowl and her reproduction. I go on record as saying that if 
we are to get large egg yields we must first so feed our fowls 
that they shall be reasonably fat and then take our chances on 
their becoming overfat, which might result, in the end, in fatty 
degeneration and death. A few hens will generally have a ten- 
dency to become overfat without laying. These would, in any 
event, be likely to prove unproductive by any system of feeding 
because they inherit a tendency to throw their energies into flesh 
rather than into eggs, and therefore take full advantage of the 
opportunity to grow fat when heavily fed. All that we can do 
to overcome this tendency to overfatness is to keep the fowls in 
the best possible physical condition by keeping them in clean, 
fresh air houses and encourage them to exercise freely for all of 
the cracked or whole grain that they eat, and meanwhile give 
them all that they can eat up clean once each day of nourishing, 
easily digestible and palatable meat and ground grain in order to 
make certain that they have all they can digest. In addition, of 
course, they should have always accessible bone, oyster shell and 
grit. 

In practice this result can best be secured by letting the fowls 
become hungry once each day, preferably in the morning, and to 
have all that they can possibly eat twice each day, preferably 



EGG SECRETS. 45 

ground feed and meat at noon in case of wet mash, or in a hopper 
during afternoon if dry mash is used and mixed whole or cracked 
grains at night. They should go to the roost with their crops full 
with a little grain left over in the deep litter to induce early morn- 
ing exercise and feeding. 

In view of the above does it not seem reasonable to assume 
that fowls in order to reproduce themselves must have surplus 
energy which is stored up in the fowl's body in the form of fat, 
against a time of need? This, it seems to me, is a reasonable ex- 
planation of the well known fact that fowls always eat more for 
a considerable length of time before they begin to lay, which is 
followed by an increase in weight before actual production takes 
place, and the well known fact which anyone can observe, that 
the hen in her highest condition of reproduction weighs more than 
at any other time during her life. The natural conclusion is that 
fowls must be fed not only well balanced rations suited to all of 
the demands of the body as to protein, fat and mineral matter, 
but that they must also have a sufficient quantity to satisfy the 
demands of the body, which are immense. The hen is the great- 
est known condenser of feed into a finished animal product. 



Market Secrets 



Secret of Judging the Age of Dressed Poultry 

When the writer was a boy, more old fowls were placed in 
the general market than is the case to-day, as no one parted with 
their hens until the fowls were so old that they were not profitable 
for egg production. 

To-day, therefore, the poultry buyer is often fooled in his 
judgment of the age of poultry. A smart housewife taught me 
the following method of determining the age, and it is certainly 
a secret worth knowing: When she selected a hen she would 
note if the spur was hard, and the scales of the legs rough — indi- 
cations of old age. If the specimen showed very little spur, and 
if the legs were more smooth, the market women would bend the 
underbill. If unable to bend it down, and the comb seemed thick 
and rough, she would refuse to buy, no matter how fat and plump 
the carcass might be. 

A young hen has only the rudiments of spurs, the scales on 
the legs are smooth, glossy and fresh colored, whatever the color 
may be ; the claws tender and short, the nails sharp, the underbill 
soft, and the comb thin and smooth. 

If the turkey hen had rough scales on the legs, callosities on 
the soles of the feet, and long, strong claws — or if the turkey cock 
had a long beard — this housewife knew that either of the car- 
casses was old. 

An expert in dressed poultry can judge the age very closely 
by using this method: Take the end of the breast bone farthest 
from the head between thumb and finger and attempt to bend 
it to one side. In a very young bird fsay a broiler or a green 
goose) it will be easily bent; in a bird a year or so old it will be 
brittle; and in an old bird, tough and hard to bend or break. 
L^nfortunately, tricky dealers sometimes break the end of the 
breast bone before showing the bird, and thus render the test 
worthless. 

Mackenzie's method is as follows : A young turkey cock has 
a smooth black leg, with a short spur. The eyes are full and 
bright, and the feet supple and moist. The bill and feet of a 
young goose will be yellow, and there will be but few hairs upon 
them. If old they will be red. 

Scammel's method is : The feet and neck of a young fowl are 



MARKET SECRETS. 47 

large in proportion to its size. A young capon has a thick belly 
and large rump, a poll comb, and a swelling breast. Young ducks 
and geese are plump, with light, semi-transparent fat, soft breast- 
bone, tender flesh, leg joints which will break by the weight of the 
bird, fresh-colored and brittle beak, and windpipe that will break 
when pressed between the thumb and fore-finger. In selecting a 
goose or duck, take hold of the toes and pull them apart; if the 
web separates easily it is young. 



Secret of Dressing Fowls 

The following method is practised by an expert, and is 
recommended for quick and thorough work in dressing fowls : 
The carcass is first dipped into cold water and then allowed to 
drip, after which finely pulverzied rosin is sprinkled over the 
feathers, using a dredging box for convenience. This being care- 
fully done, the fowl is scalded in the usual manner. The rosin 
sticks the feathers together so that pinfeathers come out with the 
others, saving much trouble. Use the common crude article. 

Secret of Celery-Fed Broilers 

Some years ago a broiler plant ont the outskirts of Washing- 
ton, D. C, secured quite a trade, at advanced prices, for what it 
termed " celery- fed broilers." Two weeks before being marketed, 
celery was chopped up fine and fed the birds being fattened. This 
gave the stock a peculiar wild flavor, similar to the canvas-back 
duck. It had no pronounced celery taste, but it so changed the 
order of things that epicures '' smacked their lips " and cried for 
"■ more." 

Secret of High-Priced Market Stock 

In these days of sharp competition with breeds of all classes, 
the beginner is apt to become puzzled by the arguments used on 
all sides, and is very much undecided just what breed will give 
the best returns. 

Of course much depends upon the kind of roaster wanted. If 
a medium size is most salable, say four to five pounds at six 
months of age, I raise such breeds as the Plymouth Rocks, 
Rhode Island Reds, or the large-size strain of White Wyandottes. 

But if a bird is wanted that will weigh from six to eight 
pounds at six months of age, you should raise either the Light 
Brahma in its purity, or a cross of Indian Game on Brahma. This 
cross, by the way, gives a very satisfactory roasting fowl. The 
Indian Game, being a solid, plump fowl, will add more weight 



4o POULTRY SECRETS. 

than would a cross between one of the American or the Mediter- 
ranean breeds on the Brahma. 

An expert lately revealed to me that he can get ideal roasting 
fowls best from the Light Brahma in its purity, especially if he 
first grows a good frame on his birds, and then fills them out with 
carbonaceous material. 

At any rate a bird must be produced that will stand extreme 
forcing and at the same time have a plump and nice body, with 
good weight. The prime spring roaster, or, as it is sometimes 
known, the '' soft roaster," is a bird not more than six months of 
age, and which has the foregoing characteristics. Such a fowl 
will certainly be good and tender. 

In mentioning these varieties it is assumed that the market 
calls for a yellow-skinned carcass. Should it demand a white- 
skinned bird, then be sure to raise the Black Langshan in its pur- 
ity, or a cross of Black Minorca and Black Langshan. 



Tnislow's Secret of High Prices for Ducks 

One of the most successful raisers of ducks, catering to the 
fancy New York trade, is William H. Truslow, of Pennsylvania. 
His ducks average several cents per pound higher than usual mar- 
ket prices, and his supply is seldom greater than the demand. 
This i.s the way it is done : 

In the first place, Mr. Truslow has excellent stock, well fat- 
tened and prepared for market. He proceeds along well-known 
lines of duck culture, with no unusual methods or secrets. 

In the next place. Mr. Truslow is a close student of his mar- 
ket. He knows just what weight and color of skin his customers 
favor. He knows at what times of year the demand for ducks 
is heaviest, and he plans months ahead to have his stock at its best 
at those times. He sees to it, also, that his shipments can be 
relied on for regularity, so that customers can have no excuse 
for going to other shippers. 

Where Mr. Truslow's method differs from others is just 
here : he knows that only where a breeder is able to create a de- 
mand for his own particular product, either of poultry or eggs, 
he will secure the higher prices. As soon as he establishes a repu- 
tation, and customers are able to identify his goods, they will in- 
sist on having them and are willing to pay more for them. Mr. 
Truslow thus solves the problem of labelling his ducks wherever 
they are sold: 

He buys from the American Can Company a quantity of tin 




MARKET SECRETS. 49 

tags, an illustration of one of which is shown herewith, and when 

each duck is killed, a tag is inserted in 

the web of the foot. Patrons of the 

high-priced hotels, and swell cafes who 

want an extra nice duck always order a 

" Truslow," and they know they are 

getting it by means of this tag, which 

is left in the foot when the duck is 

cooked and appears with the bird on 

the table. If only a portion of the duck is served, the foot, with 

the web spread out showing the tag, is placed on the side of the 

dish as a garnish. These tags are practically the same as are 

used on plug chewing tobacco, except that the points are longer. 

It is brown in color, about the shade of roast duck, and printed 

with black ink. 

To apply the tag, have one point straight and the other bent 
to a right angle ; the straight point is inserted in the web of the 
foot, the web is then stretched as much as possible, when the bent 
point is pushed in and then straightened out. The elasticity of the 
web holds it firmly in place. These tags are unavailable for 
chickens, but no doubt a hole could be punched in the chicken's 
foot and a tag of a different design attached firmly in some way. 

The design of the tag is Mr. Truslow's trade mark. It is 
made familiar to his customers and others by appearing on his 
note head and shipping tags, etc. 



Miscellaneous Secrets 



Secret of Determinin|( the Right Breeding Age 

May is the natural breeding season. April, and even March 
hatches, are prolific, but, as a rule, they predominate in male 
birds, while in the case of May hatches there are generally more 
females. 

As adult cocks cannot always be relied upon to fertilize the 
eggs during winter, the main reliance for fertility must come 
from younger birds. A good, vigorous cockerel mated to hens 
gives me the best results. 

A fowl's usefulness in breeding depends upon its condition. 
I believe in continuing both hens and cocks so long as it is proved 
that they are strong and vigorous, and that the eggs are properly 
fertilized. In the yards of the writer there are some three and 
four-year-old birds. These have, by tests, proved that they still 
possess good reproducing powers, and are therefore considered 
too valuable to discard. 

In breeding turkeys, two and even three -year- old birds pro- 
duce much larger stock than yearlings. In ducks, the best mating 
is ducklings with drakes a year older. Geese, as a rule, mature 
when ready for breeding, and remain in full vigor for many years. 
An instance is recorded where a Canada gander was still service- 
able at the age of forty-five years. 

Secret of Preparing Fowls for Exhibition 

Many who visit the poultry shows and see the fowls in a 
" spick and span " condition, little know of the training, washing 
and conditioning that these specimens receive before they are 
shipped to the show room. The following are secrets in the fan- 
cier's trade : 

A Black Spanish fancier's method : The comb, wattles and 
face are thoroughly cleansed by using lukewarm water and a 
soft cloth. A soft brush or sponge is then used to scour the 
shanks and feet, in warm water, to give them the finest appear- 
ance. After being thoroughly cleansed, the shanks are some- 
what improved by rubbing or polishing with a chamois skin and 
a very small amount of melted beeswax. They are then placed in 
separate pens, about three or four feet square, and the face 
washed two or three times a week, using a good quality of soap, 
warm water and a soft piece of sponge. After thoroughly drying 



MISCELLANEOUS SECRETS. 51 

with a soft towel, a little oxide of zinc powder is dusted on the 
face. Hemp seed and bread soaked in warm milk is part of their 
diet. 

A Black Hamburg fancier after selecting the fowls intended 
for exhibition, shuts them up for a few days in a dark place, only- 
letting in the light at the time of feeding. By this means, and 
the application of a little weak vinegar and water, the earlobes 
are blanched. The fine iridescent green gloss on the feathers is 
very much enhanced if the birds are highly fed on wheat and a 
mash of one-eighth linseed to seven-eights ground oats. White 
fowls are much improved by this confinement, as it gives the 
plumage a clear milky-white color and it loses under this treat- 
ment the yellowish cast acquired by exposure to the weather. If 
bad in this respect they should be put in the darkened quarters at 
least a month previous to the exhibition. 

I. K. Felch, when washing white-plumaged birds, carefully 
avoids soap that contains rosin. He recommends either Pear's 
or Ivory soap as the best. He says : 

" I thoroughly soap and lather to the skin, and leave it on 
long enough to cut all dirt, or any gummy or adhering substance 
in the plumage. Then remove to a second tub of clean, lukewarm 
water, deep enough to submerge the fowl, and by gently rubbing 
with a large sponge with the feathers, remove every bit of soap. 
Then shake the plumage in the water thoroughly, and rub it to the 
usual smooth condition. At last plunge in a tub of cold water 
that has been blued as the housewife blues the water for the linen 
in her wash. By gentle manipulation of the plumage thoroughly 
rinse it with this blue water, and take the bird out into a wire- 
bottom dripping cage, allowing the specimen himself to shake the 
water out, and then he may be removed to either of two rooms. 
Now the best in the world is a room the floor of which is covered 
four inches deep with sea beach sand, and the atmosphere heated 
to lOO degrees, having been warm long enough to heat the sand 
to lOO degrees. Then allow the room to cool to seventy degrees 
at the height of a man's waist. This will cause the heat to rise 
from the sand, and the fowls will, with the water in the plumage, 
secure a steam or Turkish bath that will make the plumage 
spread out to its fullest extent, and be immaculately white. Or, 
put the bird in a cage with a wire bottom and cut-straw that is 
absolutely clean, and set this cage over a register so as to heat the 
straw to lOO degrees in a room of seventy degrees; and in this 
let the bird steam dry. When washing, brush the black dirt out 
from under the scales of the legs and toes, as one cleans one's 
finger nails." 

Just previous to the show, the head, comb and wattles should 
be sponged clean, to free them from dirt and dandruff, then 
rubbed (not smeared) with vaseline. 



^2 



POULTRY SECRETS. 



Secret of Scaly-Leg Cure 

While grease — lard or vaseline — and kerosene, will greatly 
assist in ridding fowls' legs of scales, the most positive and the 
simplest treatment the writer has tried is thoroughly to coat the 
legs with gas tar. When the tar wears off the scales go with it, 
leaving the legs clean and fresh looking. This gas tar can be 
secured at any gas works. 




Right Way to Carry a Fowl 

Note the ease of the bird. There is no undue 
pressure on any part of its body. 




Wrong Way to Carry a Fowl 

Note how the breast is bulged out. 



Secret of a Successful Start 

There are a number of reasons why fall is the best time of 
the year for beginners to start in poultry culture. Supposing that 
the houses are in readiness, October is a better month than Sep- 
tember for buying stock. The October pullet will be better ma- 
tured, and the yearling hen practically over her molt. 

The best beginning is made zvith healthy, thrifty yearling 
hens. They will not only give a satisfactory winter egg yield, 
but will produce stronger and better chicks in the spring. Good 
yearling hens, bred for egg production, can be purchased during 
October at two dollars per head in lots of twenty-five or even 
less. In lots of fifty they can generally be had at one dollar and 
seventy-five cents each. 

Fifty hens will make a fine start, and should produce twenty- 
five hundred eggs before June ist. If five hundred of these eggs 
are placed under hens, there should be from three to four hun- 
dred chicks hatched, and the remaining two thousand eggs should 
bring about forty dollars. The value of the chicks and eggs 
should the first year not only offset the cost of stock and feed, 
but should also pay part of the cost of buildings and fixtures. 



MISCELLANEOUS SECRETS. 53 

The following year, double the amount of stock would be 
"had, and thus each year the farm would gradually be growing on 
a firm foundation. Poultry plants started in that way are, as a 
rule, successful. 

The beginner must learn the fact that he must creep before 
he can hope to walk. He must not begin on too large a scale. 
By starting in the fall, and making full preparations for the win- 
ter, he will become better acquainted with his task, and will be 
better fitted for the more arduous duties in the hen yard. Be- 
sides, the poultry will have a better chance to become acquainted 
with their new home and master, and if careful work is done the 
winter's results will be highly satisfactory. 

Should the poultry houses already erected not have any 
scratching sheds attached to them, it is advisable that such be 
added at once. To accommodate fifteen fowls a scratching shed 
7x10 feet would be satisfactory, although loxio feet would be 
better. A door should lead from the regular house to the shed 
so that the fowls can come and go at pleasure. The front of the 
shed, facing the south, had better be enclosed with one-inch wire 
tietting, and during very cold weather a muslin or burlap curtain 
should be hung on the inside of the wire netting to keep out driv- 
ing snow or heavy winds. 

Poultry kept in this way do not catch cold so readily as do 
fowls quartered in close, tight-fitting houses. 



Lawny's Secret of Insect Killers 

Rolla Lawny gives us two valuable secrets — one for an insect 
powder, and the other for a lice paint — just the same as are 
-offered for sale by some dealers. 

For Insect Powder, he says: Take one pint crude carbolic 
acid and three pints gasoline. Mix in agate pan or earthen crock, 
and add plaster paris by sprinkling in and thoroughly stirring so 
that every particle of plaster paris will be wet, until the liquid has 
all been absorbed by the plaster paris. Spread on heavy paper 
in a room for excess gasoline to evaporate. Then run through 
a sieve made of window screen, and the powder is ready for use. 

It can be used a number of times by holding the fowl over 
a newspaper to catch what falls off. Shake the powder well 
through the feathers. Mr. Lawny says he has found this powder 
much more effective than six different preparations now on the 
market, all of which he has given a fair test. 

Lice Paint. — Substitute kerosene for the gasoline as directed 
in the powder, making the formula one pint of crude carbolic acid 
to three pints kerosene. Painted on the roosts after three o'clock 
will get many of the body lice from the hens after they go to 
coost, besides destroying all mites and lice that may come in con- 



54 POULTRY SECRETS. 

tact with it. He says he has found this much more efficient than 
many of the high-priced proprietary articles he has used. 

Incubator Secrets 

No oil should be used that will not come up to 150 degrees 
test. 

Fill the lamps in the evening, so as to carry a strong heat 
during the night. 

It is safest to use a new wick in beginning each hatch. 

Cooling the eggs makes the strongest chicks. 

Ventilate the incubator room, as foul odors will jeopardize 
the hatch. 

The fresher the tgg the better the hatch. 

Never place the incubator near the window. 

After the fourth day of incubation turn the eggs both night 
and morning. 

Too high a temperature will quicken a hatch, while one too 
low will prolong it. 

It is wisdom to have all the large ends of the eggs pointing 
the same way. 

A hatch that has been delayed, can be quickened by adding 
sponges dipped in hot water to the incubator. 

Begin cooling the eggs after the fourth day, and continue 
until the eighteenth day. 

In cooling eggs it is best to place a thermometer on them 
after being turned. Return the tray to the machine when the 
temperature has reached eighty-five degrees. 

In heating a machine do it gradually. 

Here is H. S. Thompson's well-developed system of incubator 
management : Cut two narrow cardboard strips for each of your 
egg trays. Write or print " Night " on one, and " Morning '' 
on the other. Tack each one to the sides of the tray that show 
through the glass door. When turning the eggs see that the trays 
are shifted around so that the sign " Night " shows at night, and' 
" Morning " in the morning. This will insure the even applica- 
tion of heat, which is so important. 

After a few hatches, place the burners of the lamps in hot 
water, to which is added about a tablespoonful of washing soda, 
and boil them for several hours. This cleans the sieve thorough- 
ly, and makes it safer to use. 

Broody Hen Secrets 

The quickest way to break up broodiness, is to remove the 
hen from her nest the very first evening she deserts her roost. 
The sitting fever grows in intensity each day after it has fairly 
begun. Obstinate cases will require a week or more to curCj. 



MISCELLANEOUS SECRETS. 55 

but when taken in time a few days will suffice. Broody hens 
should be penned in a pen that is light and the front of which 
has wire netting, so that plenty of air can be admitted. Feed 
them regularly and have fresh water constantly before them. Be 
sure that no nests are in the building. 

Dr. Woods* Egg Hatching Secret 

It is well known that the greatest losses in artificial hatching 
are through almost fully-developed chicks dying in the shell. To 
prevent this loss, economize the time of hen mothers, and get the 
best returns in livable chicks, Dr. P. T. Woods uses this secret 
method, which has been jealously guarded by a few New England 
egg farmers for a number of years : 

Start your eggs in the incubator when you have a fair num- 
ber that you wish to set. The fresher they are the better. It is 
not necessary to start with a machine full. When machine is 
started, round up your broody hens and get them located in hatch- 
ing nests on nest-eggs to get them accustomed to the place where 
you wish them to sit. You have this to do anyway if you set 
hens. Prepare nests in the usual manner with a moist earth or 
sod bottom, covered with clean hay or soft straw. 

By the time your incubator has been running seven to ten 
days you should have a number of hens ready to receive eggs. 
Test out your incubator at this time and give each broody hen 
from eleven to fifteen of the fertile eggs from the incubator. In 
this way you should be able to set from four to forty hens at one 
time on fertile eggs exclusively. The incubator, now empty, may 
be filled again and the procedure repeated. 

This metl]od saves the time of the incubator and the time of 
the hens. The hens sit only on known-to-be-fertile eggs, and in 
many cases hatch every egg. The eggs are hatched in from 
eleven to fourteen days after the hens get them, thus saving time 
of the hens, an item of importance on an egg farm. The hatch 
of two hens makes a comfortable brood for one hen, and the 
remaining broody biddy can be set over again on the next lot of 
fertiles from the machine. 

While it is usually best to transfer the eggs from machine to 
hens by the tenth day, they may remain in the machine until 
the fourteenth day if necessary in order to obtain sufficient 
broodies to cover them. Even when eggs have been kept in the 
incubator until the seventeenth and eighteenth days the results 
in chicks hatched under hens by this plan have been good, with 
very few chicks dead in the shell. Eggs from same lot allowed to 
remain in incubator until the chicks were hatched showed much 
greater losses from chicks dead in the shell. 

Dr. Woods' method solves the problem of getting the maxi- 
mum number of early chicks that can be reared with the minimum 



56 rOULTPY SECRETS. 

loss. Early chicks mean early pullets, and these latter mean to 
the egg farmer fall and winter eggs in goodly numbers at the 
time of big demand and greatest profits. 

Hunter's Secret of Success 

A. F. Hunter thus summarizes his profitable method: The 
secret of success in poultry keeping lies in our ability to reproduce 
the laying stock; conversel}/, the cause of the great bulk of the 
failures of success with poultry is inability to reproduce the laying 
stock. 

We use the term " failures of success " advisedly, because 
the majority of the so-called failures in the chicken business (and 
there are many of them), are merely failures of would-be poul- 
trymen to get started in the business ; there are a great many wha 
make more or less promising attempts at starting, but fall down 
on the first or second season's work because the chicks fail to 
hatch at all well, or fail to grow well, and the beginner finds him- 
self weighted down with small flocks of " weedy," indifferent 
pullets, — instead of having his houses full of well-matured, hardy 
layers, which would pay him goodly profits. 

It has been demonstrated again and again that it is early- 
laying pullets, giving us a liberal egg-yield at the time of highest 
prices, that pay the big profits ; and it is early-hatched chickens^ 
kept growing so the pullets come to laying maturity in October, 
that give us the liberal egg-yield. It can be easily seen, then, 
that the key to successful work with poultry, lies in the early- 
hatched chickens, kept steadily growing so that the pullets reach 
laying maturity in October. 

How can we get those early-hatched chickens? Back of the 
chicken is the egg, back of the egg is the breeding stock which 
produces the egg, and in the breeding stock lies the foundation 
upon which we may build success. The one great secret of suc- 
cess lies in the constitutional strength and vigor of the breeding 
stock. If that is all right, if the breeding stock is strong, sturdy, 
hardy and vigorous, the eggs will give us strong, snappy, " bound- 
to-live " chicks, and the pathway to success lies open before us. 
If, on the contrary, the breeding stock is weak, what few chicks 
we do hatch from the eggs will be weak, and " all the voyage of 
their life is bound in shallows and in miseries " ! Not only is it 
the chicks' lives, but the " life " of the poultry keeper also abounds 
in shallows and miseries, and his failure of success is close at 
hand. 

Look well, then, to the health, the strength, the constitutional 
vigor of the breeding stock, — for therein lies the secret of success. 
With that strength and vigor assured our success is certain ; with- 
out it " failure " is knocking at the door ! 



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